Bryant or bust

Prior to the Los Angeles Lakers' Thanksgiving night matchup with the Sonics, Kobe Bryant took some heat for his, uh, "willingness" to launch shots. Over the previous three games – two of them Lakers losses – Kobe averaged 35 attempts, many of them wild, low-percentage looks. Phil Jackson even mentioned to the media that he'd like to see Bryant take about 10 fewer shots per game. (Wouldn't it be nice to have a coach tell you to shoot only 25 times?)

So in the first half against Seattle, Kobe seemed to heed his coach's advice, playing at a deliberate pace and easing his way into the game. He picked up two quick fouls and sat down, then returned to the game and did his best to get his teammates involved. Bryant finished the half with just five points on 2-for-7 shooting, and the Lakers trailed by nine.

Perhaps therein lies the problem for Kobe and the Lakers. Yes, Bryant needs to involve his teammates. But when he has attempted to do so, the results haven't been good. Other than Smush Parker, none of the Lakers appear comfortable in the triangle offense. So when Kobe went crazy in the second half, gunning down the Sonics with a ridiculous display of offensive genius and defensive ferocity, it was apparent how truly dependent the Lakers are on No. 8. Kobe scored 29 of his 34 points in the final 18 minutes as L.A. overcame the halftime deficit to win going away, 108-96.

The question is, of course, can the Lakers live that way and make the playoffs? In a deep Western Conference, the answer is probably no. Jackson knows his team must mature and grow together, and despite a 5-6 start, he is seeing encouraging signs from his team.

While fans are focusing on the Lakers' difficulty to grasp the triangle offense, they have quietly become a better defensive team. They're giving up 95 points per game this season, as opposed to 102 last season. They've gone from 29th in the NBA in steals to 13th, and that has led to run-out opportunities. And with solid interior defense from Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown, the Lakers haven't had to double-team the post, leading to improved coverage of the three-point line. That's why Jackson appeared surprisingly upbeat before the game against Seattle.

Jackson is confident his team will slowly grow more comfortable with the triangle, and when they do, the Lakers could be a good team. But to truly become a playoff contender, Brown and Mihm will have to be more consistent in the low post offensively, Lamar Odom will have to comfortably guide the offense while maintaining his own aggressiveness and the team as a whole must understand and master the nuances of the triangle. They have to be in the right spots, make sharp cuts, create good angles and develop an offensive flow to their game. That's when L.A. will have a chance to make strides and become a good club.

Until then, however, the Lakers are going to be up and down. And their fortunes will most likely rest in the accuracy of Kobe Bryant's 30-plus shot attempts per game.