Should Kobe have taken the shot? (split from game thread)

[casspion]

Thanks

I must admit I hopped on the Kings wagon because of Omri (I'm originally from Israel and a loyal fan of Maccabi Tel-Aviv), and I was a little worried this was going to be a frustrating season, with the Kings being the worst team in the league last season and all... but I have been incredibly impressed by this team! I wasn't a big fan of the NBA because of the "star mentality", where you have to have a big star on your team that takes all the shots regardless if he has four guys on him and all of his teammates are wide open (a good example would be last night when Kobe made that shot that had maybe a 5% chance of going in, when it would've made much more sense to pass back to Artest who was WIDE open and could've taken a 50% chance shot instead of the 5% shot that luckily went in), but the Kings so far have been an amazing TEAM. Sure, they are young and trying to find their way, but once they all grow together as a team and as individuals, they will be scary. My prediction is that if they keep this roster more or less together, with some adjustments here and there, they will be borderline playoffs this season, definite first or second round playoffs next year, and title contenders in 2-3 years.

I question your logic my countryman. If I have Kobe Bryant, the best closer in the game, you let him do his thing.Artest doesn't shoot 3s at 50% clip, and regardless Kobe came through enough times to give him the ball with 3 and change seconds left.

 

[Asaf]

I question your logic my countryman. If I have Kobe Bryant, the best closer in the game, you let him do his thing.Artest doesn't shoot 3s at 50% clip, and regardless Kobe came through enough times to give him the ball with 3 and change seconds left.

My logic is based on statistics. Even Kobe said it was the luckiest shot he had ever made. Artest can make 50% on OPEN 3s with one hand tied behind his back (metaphorically speaking of course...).

 

[casspion]

My logic is based on statistics. Even Kobe said it was the luckiest shot he had ever made. Artest can make 50% on OPEN 3s with one hand tied behind his back (metaphorically speaking of course...).

Although the shot turned to be a very difficult one it doesnt change the fact with 3 and change the ball should go to Kobe. They wanted to win with a three, not force an overtime.Good play Phil, nice shot Kobe. If it was a lesser star, you are right. Work something better than having the guy take a shot with two defenders draped on him. But the Kobes, Lebrons, Wades (and even VC, especially against the raptors) have a tendency to deliver with those shots many times. Keep in mind you cannot foul them, and no matter how deep the three is( I am not talking about Kobe and this particular crazy shot), they go high enough and they make them. I have seen many times that with enough time on the clock, passes do happen, so lets not exaggertae with the theory.

 

[Gargamel]

There was a game thread on this?

There wasn't enough time left for them to do anything but give it to Kobe and get out the way. I don't think you can pass and shoot in 3 secs, at least against a team who flustered LA pretty much all nite. And if they decide on the pass, he's almost always the one who makes it. The Finals gm where Ariza passed to Fisher last year was the last one I can even remember that Kobe wasn't a part of.

 

[Superman]

In the entire NBA, there isn't a player that could be on the Lakers that would warrant NOT giving the ball to Kobe in that situation. LeBron, Wade, Carmelo, Ben Gordon, Dirk, or anyone else. You give the ball to Kobe, win, lose or draw.

 

[acisking]

In the entire NBA, there isn't a player that could be on the Lakers that would warrant NOT giving the ball to Kobe in that situation. LeBron, Wade, Carmelo, Ben Gordon, Dirk, or anyone else. You give the ball to Kobe, win, lose or draw.

Or at least that's what common knowledge seems to dictate. But the stat guys over at 82games.com have shown that it doesn't bear out at all...Kobe in not even the best shotmaker in the clutch moments (Carmelo and LeBron appear to be the gold standard amongst star players), not even considering other measures like clutch steals, assists, rebounds, etc.

I will say this tho...Kobe has the tendency to make huge shots on the biggest stage...like the playoffs.

 

[AriesMar27]

that was kobe's shot to take... fisher can only bail him out so many times, it was one hell of a shot though.

 

[Gargamel]

Or at least that's what common knowledge seems to dictate. But the stat guys over at 82games.com have shown that it doesn't bear out at all...Kobe in not even the best shotmaker in the clutch moments (Carmelo and LeBron appear to be the gold standard amongst star players), not even considering other measures like clutch steals, assists, rebounds, etc.

I will say this tho...Kobe has the tendency to make huge shots on the biggest stage...like the playoffs.

Bron won a game at GS in 08 or 09 that was single coverage with his defender a good 5 feet away daring him to shoot it. That doesn't happen with Kobe, he's got at least one man in his face even before the ball is inbounded. Those 82gm stats are misleading. Coaches act the opposite of what they seem to imply.

 

[VF21]

There was a game thread on this?

Um, no...

I split it from the Kings game thread, silly wizard.

 

[Superman]

Or at least that's what common knowledge seems to dictate. But the stat guys over at 82games.com have shown that it doesn't bear out at all...Kobe in not even the best shotmaker in the clutch moments (Carmelo and LeBron appear to be the gold standard amongst star players), not even considering other measures like clutch steals, assists, rebounds, etc.

I will say this tho...Kobe has the tendency to make huge shots on the biggest stage...like the playoffs.

I'm sort of a stat geek myself, but I don't care what they say at 82games.com about this. They can't take into account the defense that is being played, the enormity of the situation, etc. If you polled the other 29 coaches in the NBA anonymously and asked them who they would choose to take the game winner in that situation Friday night, I'm sure that 25 of them would say Kobe (only ones that might not are Erik Spoelstra, Mike Brown, maybe George Karl, and probably Doc Rivers).

And either way, the point is that you don't use Kobe as a decoy unless the defense shows that they're not going to let Kobe win and they're sending a double team at him as soon as he catches the ball. Other than that, you dance with who you came with, and for the Lakers, that's Kobe Bryant.