LA Lakers coach Byron Scott may experiment with the team next season, but one move may not sit well with superstar Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant is ready to play with the LA Lakers' young new young core and he understands that he should adjust, but playing power forward may be a stretch for him to take.
In a conversation with Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times, Lakers trainer Gary Vitti said Kobe was agreeable to playing the three along with their young backcourt of Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell.
"Then Kobe said to me, "Vitti narrated: "'Well, then who's going to play [small forward]?' I looked at him and I said, 'You.' And with absolute, 100% confidence, he said, 'I can do that.'"
It's not surprising as Kobe would take on the team's best perimeter scorer, even if it's LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony. However, with the current Lakers roster and the possibility of injuries over the season, head coach Byron Scott hinted that he may have to take it a step further.
Scott mentioned to Nba.com that there might be "some games, against some teams, where he'll probably play 4." Which means Kobe will be pitted against the likes of Zach Randolph, Blake Griffin or LaMarcus Aldridge.
Perhaps Scott means Kobe will play the four to match up against other teams playing "small ball" like the champion Golden State Warriors. The former Lakers guard believes that the Black Mamba's "tenaciousness" and competitive nature will make him take the challenge.
Kobe has yet to make a public opinion on the possibility of playing the "four" but most observers and fans feel like he would not be pleased. On Scott's position, he says it is to relieve Kobe from running around the court, conserving his legs and placing him in the elbows.
Fan blog Hoops Habit mentions that it's understandable for Lakers' fans to hate the idea, and "imagine the amount of eye rolls, guffaws, and WTFs" on the strategy. One comment on Facebook joked "Kobe will see time at power forward and Byron Scott will see time at 'unemployed.'"
But the same blog argued that the move could signal the Lakers' coach leaving the "old school" philosophy. The same coach who shunned analytics is now embracing "small ball" and the Black Mamba will be the catalyst.