Keeping Kobe Bryant happy isn't a part-time job.
General manager Mitch Kupchak would never admit it, but his aggressive pursuit of Carmelo Anthony presumably has more to do with satisfying Bryant than building a viable long-term enterprise.
Why the cynicism?
Let's start with L.A.'s obvious desperation. Or isn't that what you call offering a maximum-salary contract to a guy who's 30 years old and probably doesn't really fit with your operation?
Los Angeles doesn't need Anthony's services, but it wants them anyway. The organization is throwing its hard-earned cap flexibility to the wind in a bid to land the New York Knicks' star forward.
Can you blame these Lakers?
Yes.
But you can also understand where they're coming from.
The truth is that Anthony would be a terrible fit. He and Bryant both prefer to dominate the ball, working from isolation schemes or the post and operating with minimal ball movement. That might be acceptable from time to time, but it's a dangerous standard-operating procedure, prone to allowing defenders to zero in on predictable th ...
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Article written by Stephen Babb
Lakers Offering Carmelo Anthony Max Contract All About Kobe Bryant
July 5th, 2014 by Stephen Babb Leave a reply »
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