Im Still Ballin
10-12-2025, 07:39 AM
Preface: Kobe = in his rough "prime." Whether that's 2000-2013, 2001-2013, 2001-2010, 2003-2010, etc, I leave to your discretion.
Second Preface: How he should be utilized and how he wants to play are two separate, competing variables. I understand that. You'd hope that the understanding of The Modern Game would get him to cut out the long twos and focus on the short mid-range like Shai.
He's not going to be playing in The Triangle with comparatively poor spacing and post-up bigs today. He'll have more space to operate.
I think the obvious initial adjustment would be to use him more on-ball as a pick-and-roll ball handler. He used 3.9 PnR Ball Handler possessions per game in 2007-08 and scored at 0.92 ppp (92nd percentile). He was 88th percentile in ppp in 2008-09, also, so he was great at it in his own time.
The immediate modern comparison would be Shai—a similar-sized guard with a comparable combination of ball handling, pull-up shooting, slashing, and passing. Correct me if I'm wrong on any of those offensive skills. For reference, 2024-25 Gilgeous-Alexander used 9.6 PnR Ball Handler possessions per game. About 2.5x more than Bryant in 2007-08.
The isolation usage is relatively similar. Kobe's probably doing it more from the wing, whereas Shai's from the top.
Where they differ is in the off-ball and post-up department. 2024-25 Shai used 1.1 post-up possessions per game and a combined 3.6 spot-up, off-screen, hand-off, and cutting possessions per game. 2007-08 Kobe used 2.6 post-ups and 6.5 spot-up, off-screen, hand-off, and cuts. Bryant would go on to measurably increase his post-up usage starting in 2008-09 (3.56 per game without passes; 4.15 with passes).
Kobe's offensive diversity was one of his great strengths, and I think that's still an intelligent way to utilize him today. I'm thinking Devin Booker for the off-ball stuff? And maybe DeRozan, Siakam, or 2023 Luka for the post-up? There aren't many guards who do all three effectively like Kobe: on-ball, off-ball, post-up.
Second Preface: How he should be utilized and how he wants to play are two separate, competing variables. I understand that. You'd hope that the understanding of The Modern Game would get him to cut out the long twos and focus on the short mid-range like Shai.
He's not going to be playing in The Triangle with comparatively poor spacing and post-up bigs today. He'll have more space to operate.
I think the obvious initial adjustment would be to use him more on-ball as a pick-and-roll ball handler. He used 3.9 PnR Ball Handler possessions per game in 2007-08 and scored at 0.92 ppp (92nd percentile). He was 88th percentile in ppp in 2008-09, also, so he was great at it in his own time.
The immediate modern comparison would be Shai—a similar-sized guard with a comparable combination of ball handling, pull-up shooting, slashing, and passing. Correct me if I'm wrong on any of those offensive skills. For reference, 2024-25 Gilgeous-Alexander used 9.6 PnR Ball Handler possessions per game. About 2.5x more than Bryant in 2007-08.
The isolation usage is relatively similar. Kobe's probably doing it more from the wing, whereas Shai's from the top.
Where they differ is in the off-ball and post-up department. 2024-25 Shai used 1.1 post-up possessions per game and a combined 3.6 spot-up, off-screen, hand-off, and cutting possessions per game. 2007-08 Kobe used 2.6 post-ups and 6.5 spot-up, off-screen, hand-off, and cuts. Bryant would go on to measurably increase his post-up usage starting in 2008-09 (3.56 per game without passes; 4.15 with passes).
Kobe's offensive diversity was one of his great strengths, and I think that's still an intelligent way to utilize him today. I'm thinking Devin Booker for the off-ball stuff? And maybe DeRozan, Siakam, or 2023 Luka for the post-up? There aren't many guards who do all three effectively like Kobe: on-ball, off-ball, post-up.