Kobe benched why

Now you expect him to go up against some of the best the NBA has in this position. Of course, Kobe is still the main draw in Tinseltown, very highly compensated and well loved. He is excited to play, to win, but those legs might not keep up any longer.

Against the Jurassic Tayshaun Prince, Kobe dropped 24 points on opening night but he took 24 shots to get that. In the next two games, he had to cover the unpredictable Rudy Gay and Chandler Parsons, who just returned from injury.

That is a lot to ask. Metta World Peace could be more suited to play a defensive role, but expecting Kobe to run around chasing these players off that surgically healed Achilles is asking for trouble. You want to see him finish the whole season unscathed. Kobe seems to have accepted his fate. The playoffs is now a mirage, and the Finals but a memory. He does not have the personnel to help carry this team to the promise land.

Everyone from the championship squad is gone, bar MWP. On the back of his mind, he wants to finish the game injury-free. He will take it one game at a time but he wants to play every game if he can.

What Kobe has left is that will to win, that killer instinct. The Lakers can use this in short spurts to maximize his ability. They are already limiting his playing time, but the Lakers could be managing this more wisely by letting him come off the bench. What could this do? An efficient Bryant is better for the team as a whole. You can save his legs and allow him to finish the game with more energy to keep up with his younger teammates. This new starting five could create plenty of mismatches to opposing teams.

The Lakers have youth on their side. Off the bench, Kobe can check in and take over, giving the Lakers that extra spark that has been missing in the last three games. Pairing him up with Lou Williams will provide a lot more offensive punch to a tiring lineup. Instead of falling short in the fourth, LA could turn back the clock for Kobe and give them more options at crunch time. Against Dallas and Sacramento, LA fell behind early and the game was pretty much over by the third quarter.

The Lakers lost a heart-breaking game against Minnesota despite having a sixteen point cushion. Perhaps a well-rested Kobe could just be the tonic they are looking for. Unleash the Mamba in shorter spurts but in a timely manner. Lakers guard Austin Reaves to miss at least two weeks with hamstring strain. Elliott: Malik Monk again shows why Lakers can count on him in the clutch.

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