By
Kamy Shaygan
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Kobe Bryant has an agenda this season.
He wants to lead the league in scoring and become MVP in only his fifth NBA season.
Let's not forget that if Kobe had played four years of college ball, this would be his rookie year in the NBA.
This "rookie" needs an attitude adjustment. Although Bryant is clearly the best player in the NBA this season, and would receive four stars on Star Search, he has tarnished the Los Angeles Lakers' chances of winning their second-straight championship.
Bryant's ego has reached an all-time high this season - the Lakers are not pleased.
Fans ask, well, if Kobe is the best player in the league, how is he hurting the Lakers?
It is quite simple.
Shaquille O'Neal is not getting the ball. When the offense ran through Shaq last season, the Lakers finished with an NBA-best record of 67-15 and won the championship. With the offense running through Kobe Bryant this season, the Lakers have already lost 12 games - and they haven't even reached all-star break yet!
The reason the offense works through Shaq is quite simple. When Shaq - who has averaged 57 percent from the field in his career with the Lakers and Orlando Magic - is the number one scoring option, the rock is going to find the hoop. If defenses close in on Shaq as soon as the ball is fed to him, he can kick it out to the open Bryant. A Shaq-oriented offense leads to a more open scoring attack, benefiting everybody.
With Shaq as the main offensive threat, either Bryant, Robert Horry or Isaiah Rider could help keep defenses honest. Phil Jackson's triangle offense was designed with a go-to player in mind. That player is Shaq.
When the offense runs through Bryant, nothing is created - Kobe Bryant takes 23 shots a game and, guess what, the Lakers lose.
I've heard the argument that the Lakers are fine offensively this season but need to improve defensively.
It's hard for the Lakers to play motivated defense when they have one player taking all the shots on the other side of the floor.
Kobe needs to listen to the Michael Jackson classic "Man in the Mirror" and "reeeeely maaake a change." He needs to put the team first and stop worrying about his personal stats. Kobe will gain more respect if the Lakers start winning ballgames, even if he only scores 20 points a night.
And one other thing, Kobe: you're not going to be the next Michael Jordan. There's only one. Deal with it.
