The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves dead last in the Western Conference standings after falling to 0-3 in the first week of the regular season. Their latest setback is a 105-95 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Kobe Bryant: Winless Lakers need to remain patient
The Lakers leader is trying to keep the big picture in mind, despite his team’s slow start to the NBA regular season.
Stephen Dunn
Veteran superstar Kobe Bryant tried a different approach on Friday, but the result was the same. Instead of picking his spots along with his talented teammates, Bryant tried to take over the game in the second half. He scored 26 points after the break, but the effort wasn't enough to lead his team to a win.
The outburst from Bryant revealed a bit of impatience with the early-season struggles, although after the game he said the Lakers must remain patient with a long season ahead of them:
“It’s [being patient] is particularly hard for me because I’m not the most patient individual in the world, but you have to be, you have to be, you have to stay persistent, you have to stay committed to what you’re doing and just keep on trucking.”
The Lakers certainly don't need to lean on Bryant, as they have plenty of other talent around him. But the team also needs more than seven shots and 13 points from Dwight Howard, and has to find a way to use Steve Nash when he returns from a leg injury. That way they can save the heavy usage nights from Bryant for when it really matters: in the playoffs.
Of course, they'll need to start winning games to make that playoff run. Their next chance comes on Sunday, when they host the Detroit Pistons.
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