Kobe Bryant had his worst game yet this season, hoisting not one but two airballs against the Nuggets on November 3.
The 37-year-old Lakers swingman has struggled mightly through four games, shooting 32 percent from the field including 20 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Against the Nuggets, Bryant shot 4-11 overall including 1-5 from long range. The Lakers are still winless at 0-4.
In what is perhaps Kobe’s final season, he’s been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. After a rough start last season, he turned more to playmaking, but has gone back to shooting a lot and passing a little and it hasn’t turned out well.
Kobe declared that “I suck” after his last performance, a 3-15 showing in a loss against the Mavericks. “I just can’t make a shot,” he said.
After that declaration, coach Byron Scott told reporters that Kobe is taking good shots, but the shot chart tells a different story.
Many of his shots have been contested 3-pointers, and he’s rarely put up easy looks.
The two airballs against the Nuggets were fairly good looks, though--but one came up short while the other was too long.
Kobe said he and the team has to move forward, noting the Lakers’ upcoming road trip gives everyone a chance to build chemistry and work on defense.
“The pressure is on everyone to try and fix things, so you have to communicate and teach and be better next time,” Bryant said, reported the Associated Press. “You can’t get emotional about it. You’ve got to get technical about it.”
