LA Lakers: Why Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash Pairing Will Work

Though such a quandary is not an unreasonable one to present, there is no evidence to suggest we must doubt this newly instated pairing.

The Lakers have made the Nash trade official so now there’s no turning back. But why would they want to?

Bryant has never played alongside a caliber of point guard like Nash. Subsequently, he has been forced—and perhaps embraced the opportunity—to create most of his own offense. There’s clearly no shame in that, yet such a tactic leads to a slew of contested shot attempts and requires a reckless approach when attacking the rim.

While Bryant is anything but short on contested shot attempts, his days of flying through the air toward the rim with reckless abandon are over. As he has aged, he’s changed his game and become more a habitual jump shooter than anything else.

And you know what? That’s phenomenal, especially alongside Nash.

Not only has Bryant’s subtle offensive adjustments prolonged his career and level of effectiveness, but it has prepared him for next season, when he will take the court as Nash’s teammate.

Jump shooters don’t need the ball in their hands to score. In fact, it’s quite the contrary. They’re best served coming over screens and implementing the lost art of catch-and-shoots, as such tactics provide them with the most open of looks.

For a player with as prolific a reputation as Bryant, he has a tendency to jack up ill-advised shots. It’s actually more of a penchant really. But if he can manage to shoot over 40 percent from the field with hands constantly in his face, imagine how effective he’ll be when he has a complete view of the basket.

That’s what Nash’s court vision and savvy offensive maneuvering is going to provide—a plethora of open looks for Bryant, as well as the rest of the Lakers. It’s going to require that Bryant play off the ball more, but he’s been preparing for these circumstances for the past three years without even knowing it.

So for all the naysayers who claim that Bryant is too much of a ball-stopper and Nash a ball-dominator to make this pairing truly work, I implore you to reconsider. The Kobe of old may have had an issue leaving the ball in the hands of Nash, but the older Kobe will borderline embrace it.

Because not only does Bryant now play within the confines of a style that perfectly compliments Nash’s tendencies, but he also has the will and desire to make this pairing work.

And that alone—if nothing else—is reason enough to believe this union won’t fail.