How would Kobe best be utilized today?

[Im Still Ballin]

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.

[Kblaze8855]

I think the how he’s used vs how he would want to play is the main issue. I’m sure he’d be fine. Taking a bunch of threes. I just don’t think he would be doing many of catch and shoot variety.

Just moving through time without developing in this era he wouldn’t believe the open driving lanes or the pace. I think he would comfortably score 40 quite a few times to the point it lost its interest and then try to pick the games apart and adjust. And goddamnit I just forgot I had something in the air fryer

[Kblaze8855]

L.








Doordash it is. I don’t have a kitchen right now because my tile guy won’t be here till Monday.


I’m gonna figure that out and return to the matter at hand shortly since I actually care enough about it to give it some thought

[ColinRobinson]

those are well seasoned. eat!

[StrongLurk]

Whatever Devin Booker is doing

[Norcaliblunt]

As a rapist, me too shill.

You think Kobe is getting away with aggressive sex with a groupie in 2025????

Dudes career is over before it starts if it happened right now.

[Im Still Ballin]

An interesting post from RGM:

For everyone talking about making Kobe a point guard or high-volume PnR guy, I lean heavily in the other direction.

For me, Kobe's biggest strength was how relentless he was in terms of threatening the basket, and how much he moved defenses around due to this threat. Defenses were really scared of leaving Kobe, and devoted a ton of defensive attention to him. There was a tiny bit of Steph/Reggie to Kobe's game, that never got noticed in his era, with everyone thinking of his tough on-ball shot-making.

Where Kobe sometimes struggled was as a decision maker. His outrageous confidence as a shotmaker, meant he too often passed up great looks to create okay ones. When Kobe was doing "the Detail", breaking down footage for ESPN, you'd even see him talk about hitting the open man, while acknowledging a little bit that he could have done that more often.

Putting the ball in Kobe's hands still created pretty good offense, because he's just so talented and impossible to guard. However, use Kobe's shotmaking threat in an offensive system, and you easily create [i]great[i/] offense.

I strongly prefer putting Kobe in a system where you're maximizing his off-ball gravity, while providing him with advantages on ball. I'd rather see Kobe cutting into space, getting post entry's from another playmaker, or flying around a post hub, rather than make him play like Harden or Shai. Kobe can absolutely play like that and have success, but the best version of Kobe is coming at defenses from a million different angles and attacking with advantage, while opening up advantages for teammates with his gravity.

Give me some Steph and Booker play packages, mixed in with some flex and delay action so that Kobe isos aren't guardable.

[ImKobe]

As a rapist, me too shill.

You think Kobe is getting away with aggressive sex with a groupie in 2025????

Dudes career is over before it starts if it happened right now.

Yes?

Aggressive sex is not rape. That woman consented to having sex with Kobe that day and then realized she could extort him for money and made up shit like being held against her will which she admitted she lied about later on. She's lucky Kobe folded and didn't take that shit to trial because the defense would've absolutely picked her story apart. Doesn't stop the virtue signaling ***** from making rape jokes on the internet though.

[warriorfan]

Imagine simping for Kate Faber

lol

Kobe plowing her speaks volume of his work ethic. He could have easily went out and got a way better chick instantly. He was prob gassed from ball and sacrificed to just get a quick nut and room service so he could get up early the next day and grind.

Kobe was it.