It’s a good thing the Lakers went away from Dumbtoni’s idiot offense. Why do the Lakers need a coach like Dumbtoni if they’re starting to play for Coach Kobe? The Lakers ought to fire Dumbtoni to save money.

Fire Dumbtoni!!!

All players should be working hard at all times – these guys are paid professionals. But fact is demanding that Howard take charge on the defensive end when he’s somewhat ignored on the other end of the floor is not really going to work.

And the proof is in the pudding…do you think Kobe would be a happy camper and giving it his all on the defensive end if he were limited to 10 shots per game?

My solution – instead of having Kobe shoot 22 – 23 times a game…take 6 of those attempts and divy them up between Gasol and Howard, especially in the first halves of games. It would make a difference. Gasol and Howard have the potential to be the most dominant front line in the NBA on both ends of the floor.

If it weren’t for the fact that DH destroyed his own image last year, he would probably speak out against Kobe. Instead, he is playing it the smart way. Pretend like you enjoy playing with Kobe and then re-evaluate your options in the summer.

The Lakers defense gets carved up by guards. That’s where the biggest problem lies. Who should be taking a leadership role on that one?

…and yeah, DH is right to say the kobster is the #1 option…i think we need to take that a step further. #1 option to “create points”…be it through an assist, open shot, playing decoy, drawing doubles, etc…the point is kobe has to control how this team scores and make sure they are efficient. DH does need to the “inside linebacker” calling the defense (heck, cause we know D”Antoni aint doing that!). DH, be aggressive, man…agro! beefcake!

I’m not sure you’ve watched the Lakers much over the last 17 years if that’s what you believe…

I cant stand these east coast writers who write about things they know nothing about. Kobe has led the team in assists the last 7 years, resulting in 2 championships and 3 finals apperances. He has played this role many times in the past, too bad all the east coast writers have trouble seeing whats happening on the left coast because they have Lebron’s nuts in their mouths. Salty arent they?

Every time Howard makes a comment like that, the chances of him not signing with LA this offseason goes up exponentially.

“We all know Kobe is the first option…whoever scores after that doesn’t matter”.

That statement sounds ridiculous. It’s an oxymoron. It’s basically saying “We need to play like a team and leave our individual egos aside. It shouldn’t matter who gets the majority of the shots, as long as we get the W. Well, except for Kobe – he’s the first option always.”

Here’s the thing: On a team of superstars, context dictates who the number 1 option is. If the Lakers are playing a team with a weak or thin frontcourt, give the ball to Howard/Gasol and get the opposing bigs in foul trouble early. If the team has weak outside defenders, give the ball to Kobe.
That’s what real team ball is. Team ball isn’t having the best centre in the NBA declare himself a second-option to an average (efficiency wise) scoring guard.

Kobe has been looking to pass instead of shoot the last few games, and the Lakers came away with some impressive wins. Promising, but the question is how long does Kobe stay in this mindset? He’s itching to just chuck 25 shots rather than 12…can we trust Kobe to not care about scoring only 20 points if it means his team will win? That remains to be seen.

Love hearing this. This is the way it should be. Howard and Kobe can both be leaders at the same time, and they can both be leaders with Kobe being the #1 option offensively. Howard can and should be the clearcut leader on defense. He should be quarterbacking everyone and he should demand accountability from his teammates on defense. He is the best defensive big in the NBA and he should use his defensive IQ and abilities to lead his teammates and improve the defense. I’m really glad to hear he understands this and is taking a more active leadership role in changing the way we play defense.