Also on a more serious note, I thought the Knicks asset cupboard was completely bare after trading for Mikal Bridges and KAT…

change the “or” to “and” — Kobe needs to improve markedly on both those skillsets to make his case to stick around; work hard Kobe and wish you to the best.

An unfortunate season for KB. Might as well note the final flourish, 13 points and 3 assists in the 4th quarter of game 7 against DEN, making the final score slightly more respectable. But the main thing that’s not mentioned here is his December injury, which was extremely untimely. What was it, a bad back? It was before Kawhi came back, and a window where he might have piled up some minutes, contributed, and looked good. The Clips were in the midst of piling up some surprising wins and showing strength. With marginal NBA guys you only get so many looks and windows, you have to seize them and show something. Kobe was coming off looking solid in summer league, getting plenty of rebounds and scoring, but falling under Jordan Miller’s shadow just a tad. Miller’s chance to grab a spot was fleeting, and it was starting to close right around the time that Kobe got hurt. Norm, Zu, Amir, DJJ and KDunn were all doing well, while Mo Bamba and Kai Jones were flailing, and KPJ was weighing everything down. Kobe just wasn’t available, and it was terrible timing.

On top of that missed opportunity, his 3 ball just won’t go in. Losing all those potential minutes didn’t help, and then as he was inching his way back in garbage time minutes he literally went almost 3 months with out making a 3–from Jan. 20 to April 5. It was only 12 attempts, with very few minutes, but still. His shot looks good, and his handle and size (250 lbs) and court sense are all solid. His feet are a tad slow, but he can defend bigger guys okay. The shot just has to start falling, and he needs one more good opportunity window–had then go grab it. Tough with Ty Lue, but if he makes a bunch of shots he’ll get a chance.