Kobe Bryant altering regimen due to 2nd-half fatigue, could cut minutes
Leave it to Kobe Bryant to be equal parts self-aware and narcissistic.
Despite so much discussion of late over Bryant's shot-happy ways - he's nearing records for the proportion of the Los Angeles Lakers' possessions he uses - Bryant has continued to fire away with aplomb. It doesn't matter that his teammates exist: when it's just Bryant's time, they need to get out of the way.
Bryant does, however, appear to realize that he's struggling. Though he leads the league in scoring with 26.7 points a night, he's taking 24 shots to get there, shooting just 38.1 percent from the field with what would be his lowest full-season player efficiency rating since 1998-99. He's especially having trouble late in games: he's stopped passing entirely in the fourth quarter, and his shooting percentage drops precipitously.
| Quarter | Pts/36 | Ast/36 | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23.4 | 4.9 | 38.6% |
| 2 | 34.3 | 3.5 | 47.4% |
| 3 | 23.8 | 5.2 | 34.7% |
| 4 | 30.5 | 2.3 | 32.4% |
Some of that is due to circumstance. In close games, opposing teams know Bryant will be getting the ball and can close in on him defensively. In blowouts, Bryant is gunning to try and get his team back in the game.
It doesn't help that Bryant is averaging 35.7 minutes a night, the most a player aged 36 or older has averaged since Jason Kidd's 2009-10 season. Bryant points to the resulting fatigue as the cause of his late-game struggles, and said Tuesday that he will be altering his recovery regimen - using more ice baths, in particular, to keep him fresh for second halves.
The Lakers' other option would be cutting his minutes, something they discussed at length before the season. Head coach Byron Scott told reporters Tuesday that he might trim Bryant's playing time by a few minutes a night. Scott has also allowed Bryant to rest through some practices to reduce the overall toll on his body.
The Lakers next play on Wednesday against Memphis in what will surely be a physical, exhausting outing for Bryant. It'll be interesting to see if anything changes, or if this is all just lip service from a 3-11 team looking for answers.