Kobe praises Lakers' offseason moves

Consider Kobe Bryant a fan of his former team's offseason.

While many have discussed the lack of pure shooters surrounding new crown jewel LeBron James on the personality-rich Los Angeles Lakers, the Black Mamba thinks this is just the roster that could put up a fight against the league's reigning heavyweight.

“I think they’re building the team smartly, they’re building strong physical players that play the game with pace," Bryant told Extra's Mario Lopez. "They have basketball players. What I mean by that is they don’t have players that are one-dimensional. They have players who can handle the ball, shoot the ball, pass the ball, defend the ball.

"So when you're building a team with that kind of versatility and physicality, that's something that can challenge (the Golden State Warriors), because you can’t beat Golden State by playing Golden State-style. It's just not going to happen.”

From James to fellow newcomers Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, and JaVale McGee, to holdovers Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, there are plenty of positives to this year's squad. And if one is willing to heed Kobe's analysis, the new-look Lakers are going to be better than advertised.