Kobe the Facilitator R.I.P.

By Craig Kwasniewski

(Relax Stu Jackson, Kobe is not throwing an elbow at Garnett in this photo!)

Kobe the Facilitator is dead, long live Mamba!

Gone is Kobe creating uncontested five foot jumpers for Smush Parker to brick. Gone is Kobe drawing a triple team and dishing to Brian Cook for a blown dunk. Gone is Kwame Brown dropping a hand-off from Kobe out of bounds... well actually Kwame still drops passes, they're just from Odom and Walton.

115 points in two games, but more importantly two straight wins. Look, I'm as much of a basketball purist as the next guy. I went to college in the basketball hotbed of Indiana (Purdue, BTW - the Boilermakers gave a good showing against Florida yesterday...damn!), so I appreciate the defensive game along with teamwork on offense. However, much like the Iverson-led Sixers a few years ago, the Lakers players and fans actually feed off the Kobe's energy when he's carrying the team offensively. The crowd rises (both at home and away) and the Lakers raise their defensive intensity, which has been mostly non-existent in 2007.

I noticed this first a few weeks ago when Boston came to town. The Lakers were on a six game losing streak and they needed a boost of any kind. Kobe opened with 22 points in the first quarter and the rest of the Lakers followed his lead, locking down the Celtics on their way to a 122-96 win. It was the 2005-06 Lakers all over again, Kobe going ballistic leading a talentless Laker squad (or in this case, a very injured one) to victory.

Unfortunately, Kobe went back to the facilitator role the next few games and the Lakers continued to lose.

As the past two games tell us, the Lakers need Mamba to reappear for them to have any chances to make the playoffs. Let's just hope that Kobe the Facilitator is dead a buried.

Anyway, here's a few other observations from last night's 109-102 win over Minnesota from Section 316:

Ironic Jaric: Here's something I bet you did not know; Marco Jaric wears Kobe Bryant's shoes. I saw the T-Wolves guard rocking the Nike Air Zoom Kobe I's last night. I thought he may have worn them just to taunt Mamba, but he's been wearing them all season. Maybe Kobe threw an elbow because Jaric doesn't live up to the Nike Air Zoom name.

Andrew Bynum has Mike James' number: Mike James needs to mix in a pump fake or stutter-step when driving in on Bynum. The Lakers Center rejected another drive down the lane, he's making a living blocking Mike James layup attempts.

MVP...MVP...: Can we stop with the MVP chants for Kobe Bryant? Think about it, Kobe had a way better season last year and finished 5th in the voting. This season, the Lakers have had losing streaks of six and seven games and have lost 13 of their last 18 games, not really worthy of MVP votes. So unless the Laker fans are reto-chanting for the All-Star game, they need to stop it right now.

Let's show the world we're not the dumbest fanbase and start chanting, "Keep on shooting!" clap... clap... clap-clap-clap, "Keep on shooting!" clap... clap... clap-clap-clap, or "Cu-ut Par-ker!" clap... clap... clap-clap-clap, "Cu-ut Par-ker!"

Missed Out on 65: I was in Vegas for March Madness from Wednesday to Saturday so I missed the 65 on Friday. All I can say is "damn!" I ended up watching the game sitting at a Pai Gow Poker table at the LV Hilton. There was a flat-screen TV right behind us and we kept checking the game between hands. (That turn-around three point shot was sick!!!) The tradeoff was that all of us at the table were winning big at the time. That game along with the Robert Horry shot against Sacramento are the two historic Laker games that I've missed since I got season tickets in 1999-00.

You owe me Matt!!!

Comments

[basketbawful]

You know...Smush was 8-for-10 for 19 points to go along with 9 assists and 7 rebounds last night. And considering it was a 7-point game, you have to figure the Lakers would have lost -- despite Kobe's 50-spot -- if Smush didn't have such a strong game.

Just sayin'.

[Craig]

Could you send me your address and size so that I can order you a Smush Parker jersey?

BTW - actual words NOT said by me at the Laker game after Smush hit a jumper in the 4th quarter, "You still suck!"

And that wasn't my wife or anyone that I took to the game who said it either.

[basketbawful]

I'll let you send me a Smush jersey if the Lakers beat the Suns in the playoffs and, per our agreement, I'll wear it for a week. Even to work.

[Craig]

I can't stoop so low to allow you to wear a Smush Parker jersey... but then again for that to happen Kobe has to drop 70 plus for 4 games.

[lebron james]

that thing looks like wittle bunny wabbit eating kitty syrop and munchy wunching on his wittle carrot muffincakey thing. Woogy woogy woo

[jd]

Kobe had knee surgery over the summer. When the season started he could barely dunk let alone get off 35 shots. The media created the facilitator image for kobe and he ran with it. As u can see the knee is good now and he is the same kobe. Its not the he was being unselfish, the s.o.b couldnt throw up 35 shots every night. He knows it.

[jd]

Why does nike not try to sell steve nash's shoes? I found them at jcpennys for 60 bucks. Market them like every other nike shoe and they will probably sell out. By the way they are a performance shoe. If you aint a baller u couldnt tell the difference.

[hojjat ghassemi]

hi. i am irani .i iam playing basketball in iran q. i love playing basketball in usa. i am 16 yaers. 186long} . tnx . bye

[cheap clothing]

i love kobe

[RindKigndok]

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