Predict Kobe's FG% this year

[28renyoy]

08-09: 46.7%
09-10: 45-6%
10-11: 45.1%
11-12: 43.0%

I'll go 41.8%. I believe he will be taking more 3's, with Nash as the primary ball handler, although they will mostly be on spot up's.

[White Mamba]

I don't see him shoot less than 45% with this team.

last year he shoot 43% but he played 5 minutes per game more than season be4 under phil.

If he can get back to 33-35 minutes with the easy looks nash can find for him, he will be fine.

[Odinn]

.446

[red1]

46%

[derb2k2]

all I know is that I'm going to be laughing at his % come the end of the season lol

[TyroneNBAFan]

Hard to tell really.

I'm wondering if the addition of Nash makes his job easier and boost his FG% a bit or will it throw it him off and dip his FG% a bit.

I'm gonna with the usual 45% for Kobe.

[All Net]

all I know is that I'm going to be laughing at his % come the end of the season lol

Will you be laughing at his 6th championship ring too? :D

[RRR3]

Will you be laughing at his 6th championship ring too? :D
http://static2.todanoticia.com/tn2/uploads/news_image/2011/08/13/lebron_jpg_633x633_q85.jpg





:D

[All Net]

http://static2.todanoticia.com/tn2/uploads/news_image/2011/08/13/lebron_jpg_633x633_q85.jpg





:D

Bring it on:pimp:

[scandisk_]

44 - 45.20 %

[Phenith]

If he lets nash be the primary ball handler, the trend for players playing with Nash will have Kobe shooting high 40s for sure.

[OldSchoolBBall]

45-46%. He'll get a boost due to what should be a lower ppg volume with Nash/Dwight there with the defensive attention and better spacing they'll give him, and also Nash's brilliant passing.

[ihoopallday]

47%

[KOBE143]

50%

[atljonesbro]

Yo i love Kobe but this dude just like my boy Levelon. they FG% when they ball just go downnnnn. Like Levelon that fool think he Iverson or sum sht

[pauk]

78.5% Fg
59.6% 3pt
99.9% Ft

[longtime lurker]

Will you be laughing at his 6th championship ring too? :D

This. My God there's going to be a lot of butthurt posters and tears when Kobe wins his 6th.

[lakerspng]

Having Nash on the team is going to help him a lot. He's always had to be the one who created shots both for himself and his teammates. Hes actually got someone who can create shots for him.

I say he shoots 47-48%

Hell he'd shoot that if he just stopped taking end of the quarter/half desperation heaves. He gives away 2 impossible to make, fg% buster shots a game on those alone. But one thing I've learned watching him play for a decade and a half... He does not care about his fg%

[NLZ]

2012 and we're still talking about FG% :lol

[DuMa]

if he averages above 25ppg, 41%
if he averages around 23-22ppg, legit shot to hit 45%!

41% is more likely

[Derivative]

how does having nash on the team increase kobe'ss basketball iq?

[RRR3]

Depends on how he plays tbh. If he stubbornly insists on playing like last year, he could shoot like he did last year again. If he really buys into letting Nash run the offense and takes a somewhat reduced role, he could set a career high in FG%. I think during his prime Kobe had a few years shooting about 47%, which is damn good for a player who shoots as much as he does. I'll play it safe and say Kobe shoots right around his career average of .453

[lilgodfather1]

Kobe could shoot anywhere from 40-50%. It all depends on how well he and Nash get together on the court. If he shoots 40% Dwight Howard is going to average 18 boards a game with 6 or 7 being offensive lol. I would like to see him average close to 50% though because that's always been my biggest problem with his game.

[KyrieTheFuture]

39%

[AirTupac]

People don't realize how many times Kobe had to take bailout shots because the offense was so stagnant. The team would waste time and give it to Kobe last second to pull off a miracle.

[senelcoolidge]

39-41%
Volume scorer not efficient.

[lakerspng]

so in this thread we've learned that Kobe is just a dumb volume scorer that won't shoot above 40% and will not even score 25 points/game while doing so...

okay

[KeyNote]

around 48%..give or take a % ..the one preseason game he played showed me that he'll have more wide open shots than he ever had his whole career

[red1]

Kobe fg% doesn't really measure his effectiveness as a player, if he stopped shooting from isos so much he could easily boost to the 50% range. If there was ever a year it would be this year now that he has the best playmaker in the league handling the ball.

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

how does having nash on the team increase kobe'ss basketball iq?

What does this have to do with anything?

[KingBeasley08]

43%

[I<3NBA]

i think it'll be over 100%

[rodman91]

%46.5 with Nash Effect.

[che guevara]

Having Nash on the team is going to help him a lot. He's always had to be the one who created shots both for himself and his teammates. Hes actually got someone who can create shots for him.

I say he shoots 47-48%

Hell he'd shoot that if he just stopped taking end of the quarter/half desperation heaves. He gives away 2 impossible to make, fg% buster shots a game on those alone. But one thing I've learned watching him play for a decade and a half... He does not care about his fg%
I looked this up a while ago, and Kobe attempts like .3 of those shots a game. It's a complete myth that he attempts 2 of those a game, do you honestly think he's shooting like 50% on "real" 3 point attempts?

Edit: Just looked it up on bball reference, Kobe attempted a whopping 8 shots outside of 30 feet last season. If you get inside 30 feet, the shot is plenty makeable.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/plus/shot_finder.cgi?request=1&player_id=bryanko01&match=single&year_id=&is_playoffs=N&team_id=&opp_id=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&shot_pts=&is_make=&shot_type=&shot_distance_min=30&shot_distance_max=&q1=Y&q2=Y&q3=Y&q4=Y&q5=Y&time_remain_minutes=12&time_remain_seconds=0&time_remain_comp=le&margin_min=&margin_max=&c1stat=&c1comp=ge&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=ge&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=ge&c3val=&order_by=fg

[Derivative]

What does this have to do with anything?

kobe's low FG is mostly to blame because of his poor bball iq and bad shot selection

[Smoke117]

43-45% Chuckers gonna chuck.

[BigMic]

%46.5 with Nash Effect.
Maybe even more, he'll get more space this year, I think

[Legends66NBA7]

Bball ref's projections:

http://gyazo.com/31337ba5ea0871b3485905efefd873ca.png

[StateOfMind12]

Maybe even more, he'll get more space this year, I think
I don't think you understand that Kobe's jump shot especially his long jump shot has regressed big time. He really cannot make the 3 point shot consistently anymore because of his age/knee.

He relies way too much on his lift in his jump shot which is why his jump shot has regressed so bad.

[Yung D-Will]

Wait Wait... Are you not the same guy who said FG% is a useless stat and that Ts should be the only stat used to judge players?

[RaininTwos]

People don't realize how many times Kobe had to take bailout shots because the offense was so stagnant. The team would waste time and give it to Kobe last second to pull off a miracle.
As an Iverson fan, I give you no sympathy.:oldlol:

[kurple]

44

[Gotterdammerung]

45-46%. He'll get a boost due to what should be a lower ppg volume with Nash/Dwight there with the defensive attention and better spacing they'll give him, and also Nash's brilliant passing.

Bryant has been both the primary scorer & the primary playmaker for the Lakers, especially in the Triangle offense, both Jordan's and Pippen's roles.

Due to this burden, & since Bryant lost a step and athleticism declined a bit, he shot 43%, the worst since his first two years.

Now Howard controls the boards, and runs the floor while Nash runs the break, Bryant will revert back to scorer role of Jordan.

No longer will Bryant have to stay in the backcourt to handle the ball, he can just run up court, beat the defense, and set up in the high post/low post for great shot opportunities.

This is the first time in Bryant's career that he'll get post feeds from a bona fide playmaker, and he won't have to work so hard to create off the dribble or end up with forced shots to beat the shotclock.

If Bryant was in his prime, young and athletic, I would say 50%. Since he is 34, I predict 45 to 46%.
:cheers:

[HorryIsMyMVP]

Nash can make Jason Richardson look elite. Kobe should should 50% this year if hes really a "top 10 player".

[Rockets(T-mac)]

45-47% I'd say. I don't see him shooting under 44 this year, unless he just chucks with no regard, which I doubt will happen.

[Vertical-24]

People don't realize how many times Kobe had to take bailout shots because the offense was so stagnant. The team would waste time and give it to Kobe last second to pull off a miracle.

A lot of people don't watch the games and just look at box scores and assume all Kobe did was shot jack. 41%? Really? Some people so desperately root for his failure. With the help he has now he will most likely end up shooting a better percentage and not a far worse one. Now he will get to play less minutes, have less ball handling pressure and more options to dish the ball out to. The assumption that he would shoot anywhere from 39%-43% sounds ridiculous. The disrespect a legend gets...:facepalm

[ImmortalD24]

17th season and still going strong.

30,000 + pts
All-NBA 1st team
All-Defense
Top 5 in MVP voting

haters gonna hate. :oldlol:

[no pun intended]

It's amazing how Kobe was actually 43.0% last year. It felt like 35.0% when I was watching him play every game.

[Heavincent]

I don't see what the big deal was about Kobe shooting 43% last season. OMG, a whole 2% decrease.

45% - Good
43% - Shot jacking selfish loser

People are goofy.

[StateOfMind12]

I don't see what the big deal was about Kobe shooting 43% last season. OMG, a whole 2% decrease.

45% - Good
43% - Shot jacking selfish loser

People are goofy.
:oldlol: Nobody ever thought Kobe's 45% was ever good.

People have been on Kobe's low FG% his entire career mainly because of how high Lebron, MJ, and Wade's FG% are.

[Money 23]

More efficient Iverson, thus a 45% FG percentage.

[Vertical-24]

More efficient Iverson, thus a 45% FG percentage.

Despite Iversons low FG%, he was great in his own right. Regardless, Kobe is no Iverson. Kobe is above and beyond Iverson in nearly every way imaginable. To call him a more efficient Iverson was to try to belittle him right? It's like calling LeBron a more efficient Tmac or Shawn Kemp. Just leave and never come back, FUKKIN tool :facepalm

[Pointguard]

Off the top 43.5 %.

If the puzzle works for him 45.
If he gets annoyed that even when he's hot he can't dominate the ball then its 42%.

He has to leave his instinctive game to make the team work. Kobe got used to teams being built around him so this will be different and kind of mess with his concentration a bit. Kobe is still the scorer on this team but he has to be decoy and facilitator as well. So he has to fight old habits of being the man, while letting DH be the man, still Kobe will actually have to be the man, cause he's still the finisher. Yeah, its complicated for Kobe.

[Cali Syndicate]

Depends. If most of his shots come in iso's, then probably a similar outing like last season. If he gets more of his shots off the ball, then I could see him in the 45-48 range.

[ShaqAttack3234]

I'm not sure Nash will change Kobe's FG% much. Kobe isn't the type of player whose going to benefit much from a point guard. He's always been a guy who prefers to create his own shot and in general, players who are more finishers, particularly big men like Tyson Chandler for example are guys who benefit more from great passing point guards. I'd say Dwight, and perhaps Gasol to a lesser extent may benefit. But we're not going to see Phoenix Steve Nash. He's not going to have the ball in his hands at all times in a system that maximizes his strengths. Nash can definitely help this team a lot for a variety of reasons, but I doubt we'll see him average double figure assists or make the all-star team.

Anyway, I see Kobe averaging about 24/5/4, 44 FG%.


People don't realize how many times Kobe had to take bailout shots because the offense was so stagnant. The team would waste time and give it to Kobe last second to pull off a miracle.

I blame Mike Brown for some of their offensive struggles, but some of those bailout shots were Kobe's fault. He dribbled and held the ball quite a bit last year. He has to make quicker, more decisive moves, imo, especially with all of the offensive talent on this team.



He has to leave his instinctive game to make the team work. Kobe got used to teams being built around him so this will be different and kind of mess with his concentration a bit. Kobe is still the scorer on this team but he has to be decoy and facilitator as well. So he has to fight old habits of being the man, while letting DH be the man, still Kobe will actually have to be the man, cause he's still the finisher. Yeah, its complicated for Kobe.

Good post, I agree with a lot of this. There are arguments for both Kobe and Dwight to be the first option. Kobe can get his shot from anywhere whenever he wants and makes his free throws, but Dwight will get more high percentage shots, be a lot more efficient and has the physical presence that will get teams into foul trouble. Especially if we see 2011 Dwight. Actually, Dwight's improved passing out of double teams last year makes him a more attractive offensive option, but he has to at least his FT% up to his usual 59-60%. He's not dominant enough to really get away with shooting below 50% like he did last season. What's funny is that you can still make a case than Gasol deserves to be more featured in the offense than Dwight, but after seeing Brown make Gasol the 3rd option in favor of an inferior offensive player Bynum, we know that won't come into play.

Anyway, Kobe will be the first option for at least this year. That's obvious, but who should be the first option is up for debate.

[Deuce Bigalow]

More efficient Iverson, thus a 45% FG percentage.
Career TS%

Jordan - 56.9
Kobe - 55.4
Iverson - 51.8

[Rubio2Gasol]

FG % :roll:

Hollinger generation :bowdown:

[longtime lurker]

People act like FG% is the end all and be all when judging players. In fact I only see it ever brought up to hate on Kobe or Iverson, yet it's always ignored when bigs shoot below standards.

[Eat Like A Bosh]

I don't expect Kobe's FG% to skyrocket up to 50%, I mean he never was the type of player to just play offball a lot and spot up, things like that. He prefers to initiate things off the dribble. I think he could shoot anywhere from 43-45%. I'll give him a 45% since Nash should definitely take some of the scoring load off Kobe, less shot attempts should mean higher effciency

[SevereUpInHere]

People act like FG% is the end all and be all when judging players. In fact I only see it ever brought up to hate on Kobe or Iverson, yet it's always ignored when bigs shoot below standards.


This, the difference between someone shooting 45% and 50% is only making one extra shot in every 20. The bail out shots star players have to take can easily account for this. Too much is made of fg%

[maybeshewill13]

43.8%

[PyrrhusX]

43%

[chains5000]

47%

[scm5]

last year Kobe made 9.9 FG per game in 23.0 FGA per game.

Nash could probably find Kobe an easy basket per game.

10.9/23.0= 47.3%

I would say that's feasable.

[Nick Young]

48% 25 ppg 5rpg 7apg

Kobe is a selfless gawd.:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[TheMarkMadsen]

48% 25 ppg 5rpg 7apg

Kobe is a selfless gawd.:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:


Kobe has a chance to put up career highs in assist.

How many times have we seen Kobe dish out to a wide open teamate just for that said teamate to brick a WIDE open 3 (hello ron)

not this year.

[Bigsmoke]

i actually see him at around 47% or 48%

depends if he decides to shoot less and better shot selections

[Vertical-24]

Where does this notion that Kobe will shoot 40-43% (which is below career average) this year come from? It's really irking me and nobody can state why they think that way other than he shot 43% last year, in a completely different team-situation.

[Nick Young]

Kobe has a chance to put up career highs in assist.

How many times have we seen Kobe dish out to a wide open teamate just for that said teamate to brick a WIDE open 3 (hello ron)

not this year.
Ron or 30% shooting D-Fish, or Luke Scrubton.

Now he will have Jodie Meeks and one of the GOAT shooters NASH to hit his open shots:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[Eric Cartman]

46 or 47% PLUS A SH*T TON OF ASSIST. F*CK THA POLICEE

[lilgodfather1]

People act like FG% is the end all and be all when judging players. In fact I only see it ever brought up to hate on Kobe or Iverson, yet it's always ignored when bigs shoot below standards.
I call bull. Have you never seen anyone say how poor of a shooter Russell was, and that is the reason he is not the GOAT? If he shot 60% he has a much better GOAT case (brings his point total up to 15516 just off of two point shots FT's not included, and that's 1000 more points than he scored including FT's...).

[Pointguard]

Where does this notion that Kobe will shoot 40-43% (which is below career average) this year come from? It's really irking me and nobody can state why they think that way other than he shot 43% last year, in a completely different team-situation.

When Kobe was hot he was given dominion over the team in the past. He shot more and made more. But now he has to incorporate a more dominant player into the offense. So he leaves his instinctive game for a more thinking man's type of game. These things throw off a super scorer's game. Kobe is just one of those guys that I think drives best with his foot heavy on the pedal. As long as he's imposing his will, he is who he is - doing what he wants to do.

I don't care who you are, when you have to leave beast mode, its depressing. Especially when you were winning too and a hair away from having won the scoring title. Throw in the fact that the press is going to say he doesn't have it anymore... its human nature to fight that. And its a guy that plays Shaq's position too that he has to cater to. Even if his attitude is great, he still has to be a real thinker to accomodate DH. And beast mode will have to be every few games rather than a regular expectation.

The Olympic ball seems to mess with players who didn't grow up in the FIBA atmosphere. Not only Kobe (Durant, Ray Allen, Lebron, Wade) all took awhile for them to get it together after their last time doing it. But who knows at what point it doesn't bother them anymore.

[Vertical-24]

When Kobe was hot he was given dominion over the team in the past. He shot more and made more. But now he has to incorporate a more dominant player into the offense. So he leaves his instinctive game for a more thinking man's type of game. These things throw off a super scorer's game. Kobe is just one of those guys that I think drives best with his foot heavy on the pedal. As long as he's imposing his will, he is who he is - doing what he wants to do.

I don't care who you are, when you have to leave beast mode, its depressing. Especially when you were winning too and a hair away from having won the scoring title. Throw in the fact that the press is going to say he doesn't have it anymore... its human nature to fight that. And its a guy that plays Shaq's position too that he has to cater to. Even if his attitude is great, he still has to be a real thinker to accomodate DH. And beast mode will have to be every few games rather than a regular expectation.

The Olympic ball seems to mess with players who didn't grow up in the FIBA atmosphere. Not only Kobe (Durant, Ray Allen, Lebron, Wade) all took awhile for them to get it together after their last time doing it. But who knows at what point it doesn't bother them anymore.

And although much younger and in his prime, he was able to accomadate Shaq (who was better) and still get his. Back then, he was young and had a passion to prove himself. Now, he has nothing to prove and although he is an instinctive scorer...he's proven that he can adjust.

With Steve Nash helping to ease ball-handling, playmaking pressure and hopefully creating many more easy shots for Kobe, we should probably see his fg% inflate a bit from last season. Not to mention the extra attention that Dwight will draw that can help Kobe's spacing for better shot attempts as well.

I fully understand what you're saying though, I just don't believe his fg% will be anywhere near as bad as people are predicting. I believe quite the opposite. Black Mamba will be returning this season. I can almost guarantee it.

[Bigsmoke]

And although much younger and in his prime, he was able to accomadate Shaq (who was better) and still get his. Back then, he was young and had a passion to prove himself. Now, he has nothing to prove and although he is an instinctive scorer...he's proven that he can adjust.

With Steve Nash helping to ease ball-handling, playmaking pressure and hopefully creating many more easy shots for Kobe, we should probably see his fg% inflate a bit from last season. Not to mention the extra attention that Dwight will draw that can help Kobe's spacing for better shot attempts as well.
I fully understand what you're saying though, I just don't believe his fg% will be anywhere near as bad as people are predicting. I believe quite the opposite. Black Mamba will be returning this season. I can almost guarantee it.

thats why i have him at 47% or 48%

maybe even 50%:confusedshrug:

[NLZ]

Duncan 50% career and he's best PF ever? :lol

FG % :lol

You guys are hilarious with your FG % comments, seriously it doesn't matter.
There's like 15 active players with higher career FG % than Duncan yet it doesn't mean a single thing. James Harden shot higher % last season than Kobe ever did, doesn't mean anything. Deron Williams shot what, 35% last 2 seasons combined with the Nets? Apparently he's useless..

[BlackVVaves]

I think Kobe will shoot 45-47%.

I see his shot attempts decreasing from 23 FGA to 20 FGA over the season, and the number of shots made per game rounding out somewhere between 9 and 9.4.

His sometimes poor shot selection based on his estimation of his shooting ability (which, though great, is obviously less so now with his age) will persist as Kobe's stubbornness is second to none. However it will be less reflected in his game and production as Kobe has already showed a willingness to allow Nash to find him easier shots (per the two preseason games the two have played together, and the interviews he has given regarding his altered role).

Also, similar to 2004 when Kobe willingly decreased his shot attempts by 5 (could be slightly more or slightly less) field goals in an effort to properly acclimate the Lakers new talent, I see him shooting less this season - by design and consequence.

Lastly, last year Kobe's FG% dipped below his career average mostly due to the inbalance within the "system" Mike Brown was imploring. Objective observers will quickly recall how increasingly often the Lakers players turned to Kobe as a bailout, throwing him the basketball with less than 6 seconds on the shot clock as a result of their offensive sets breaking apart mid-execution. At 23, Kobe would have no problem creating off the dribble, driving pass his opponent or rising for a jump shot. However at 33, an injured wrist, and popiscle sticks for fingers, Kobe is less productive playing "hero-ball," as it's just too difficult for any player in his mid 30s to be expected to play 1 on 5 with less than 8 seconds left on the clock every 5 times down the court. With the addition of Nash, and the newly added dynamics of a pick and roll offense, Kobe should see less instances of bail-out basketball, which will inherently improve his shooting efficiency.

In all, with the additions of Nash and Howard and decreased possessions as the sole focal point of teams' defenses, an older Kobe should be back around his career average, if not slightly higher.

Just my prognosis :cheers:

[BlackVVaves]

Duncan 50% career and he's best PF ever? :lol

FG % :lol

You guys are hilarious with your FG % comments, seriously it doesn't matter.
There's like 15 active players with higher career FG % than Duncan yet it doesn't mean a single thing. James Harden shot higher % last season than Kobe ever did, doesn't mean anything. Deron Williams shot what, 35% last 2 seasons combined with the Nets? Apparently he's useless..

Good point. Though efficiency is highly important, it has been used much more commonly by Kobe and Iverson detractors to discredit their scoring prowess than it ever was in the 80s and 90s. Extremely similar to how this whole notion of "winning as the man" became the calling cry of Jordan fans and those whom dislike Kobe alike when the Lakers won three rings and Kobe's elite performances garnered media comparisons to MJ. I almost never heard that argument used in relation to Magic and Kareem in the 80s for instance, as it was conceived that a productive player's impact was highly valued for a championship team. But we as fans got sucked into the individualistic perceptive analysis of teams after the Jordan-era, and thus became prone to using it as a definitive measuring stick of a player's greatness, instead of a contextual one.

Anyway, like you said, efficiency is at times over-valued. It's all in context. Is the player's shooting negatively impacting the team's concepts? Or, is the shooting well within the scope of successful operation for the team?

[Cali Syndicate]

Good point. Though efficiency is highly important, it has been used much more commonly by Kobe and Iverson detractors to discredit their scoring prowess than it ever was in the 80s and 90s. Extremely similar to how this whole notion of "winning as the man" became the calling cry of Jordan fans and those whom dislike Kobe alike when the Lakers won three rings and Kobe's elite performances garnered media comparisons to MJ. I almost never heard that argument used in relation to Magic and Kareem in the 80s for instance, as it was conceived that a productive player's impact was highly valued for a championship team. But we as fans got sucked into the individualistic perceptive analysis of teams after the Jordan-era, and thus became prone to using it as a definitive measuring stick of a player's greatness, instead of a contextual one.

Anyway, like you said, efficiency is at times over-valued. It's all in context. Is the player's shooting negatively impacting the team's concepts? Or, is the shooting well within the scope of successful operation for the team?

Efficiency matters. Kobe isn't the inefficient player people make him out to be though.

Even Phil Jackson used fg% to end on when asked to compare the differences between mj and Kobe.

[BlackVVaves]

Efficiency matters. Kobe isn't the inefficient player people make him out to be though.

Even Phil Jackson used fg% to end on when asked to compare the differences between mj and Kobe.

Oh, I never said it doesn't. I said it's overused as a measuring stick for selective great players, instead of a contextual facet of assessment of their game.

For instance, saying Duncan wasn't all that great of a player because he only shot 50% as a big for his career would be an erroneous way to perceive what Duncan brought to the table on offense.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Oh, I never said it doesn't. I said it's overused as a measuring stick for selective great players, instead of a contextual facet of assessment of their game.

For instance, saying Duncan wasn't all that great of a player because he only shot 50% as a big for his career would be an erroneous way to perceive what Duncan brought to the table on offense.

Who says that? WTF? :oldlol:

[chazzy]

Kobe's getting a lot of open looks from Nash in the little time they've played together, it will only increase when Dwight replaces Sacre. He had a very good catch and shoot % last season. Stamina will also play a role. He should have more energy throughout games since he won't be bringing the ball up and playmaking as much. Shouldn't be isolating as much either. I'll say his efficiency increases for sure from last season, though I don't know what his FG% would be because he could be taking/making more 3s.

[BlackVVaves]

Who says that? WTF? :oldlol:

Thought I typed "offensive player" :lol

Auto-text :facepalm

[Hoopz2332]

LMFAO @ KObe stans trying to downplay FG% and eff:oldlol:

[upside24]

23ppg at 49% on a reduced number of shots in a reduced 1b role with Howard. Nash running the show will allow Kobe to play off ball and get easy backdoor cuts to the basket and open 15 footers when Howard is double.

Not to mention Pau drawing defensive attention.

Of course this only works if Kobe is willing to accept a 1b role to Howard.

I hope Kobe changes his game to a more efficient off the ball role using open spotshots and cuts to the basket.

His basketball IQ can help him remain effective scoring if he chooses to use it and ditch the isos and contested threes.

I can't wait for this new version if it ever materializes.

[KenneBell]

I think Kobe will shoot 45-47%.

I see his shot attempts decreasing from 23 FGA to 20 FGA over the season, and the number of shots made per game rounding out somewhere between 9 and 9.4.

His sometimes poor shot selection based on his estimation of his shooting ability (which, though great, is obviously less so now with his age) will persist as Kobe's stubbornness is second to none. However it will be less reflected in his game and production as Kobe has already showed a willingness to allow Nash to find him easier shots (per the two preseason games the two have played together, and the interviews he has given regarding his altered role).

Also, similar to 2004 when Kobe willingly decreased his shot attempts by 5 (could be slightly more or slightly less) field goals in an effort to properly acclimate the Lakers new talent, I see him shooting less this season - by design and consequence.

Lastly, last year Kobe's FG% dipped below his career average mostly due to the inbalance within the "system" Mike Brown was imploring. Objective observers will quickly recall how increasingly often the Lakers players turned to Kobe as a bailout, throwing him the basketball with less than 6 seconds on the shot clock as a result of their offensive sets breaking apart mid-execution. At 23, Kobe would have no problem creating off the dribble, driving pass his opponent or rising for a jump shot. However at 33, an injured wrist, and popiscle sticks for fingers, Kobe is less productive playing "hero-ball," as it's just too difficult for any player in his mid 30s to be expected to play 1 on 5 with less than 8 seconds left on the clock every 5 times down the court. With the addition of Nash, and the newly added dynamics of a pick and roll offense, Kobe should see less instances of bail-out basketball, which will inherently improve his shooting efficiency.

In all, with the additions of Nash and Howard and decreased possessions as the sole focal point of teams' defenses, an older Kobe should be back around his career average, if not slightly higher.

Just my prognosis :cheers:
Well done. :applause: