It’s Too Early to Bury Kobe Bryant’s LA Lakers from Playoff Conversation

 

Kobe Bryant has been back now for exactly four games—are people actually ready to shovel dirt on the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff hopes?

Apparently, there are some who feel this way.



Isn't a little early for the doom and gloom, Mr. Van Gundy? The path to the playoffs may not be an easy one, especially in the Western Conference. That doesn’t mean you bury the team’s hopes, not with 59 games left to go in the regular season. And not with Bryant back in the picture.

Of course, nobody really expects the Lakers to contend for a championship this season. Nobody that is, except for Bryant.

Per Mark Medina for the LA Daily News, Bryant still has his eyes on the ultimate prize.

“I want to win a championship,” Bryant said. “I want to be playing in June.”

As Medina goes on to note, Bryant isn’t delusional, he’s mindful of the Lakers’ current standings as well as the inevitable trade rumors as management mulls potential roster improvements.

He understands the Lakers (11-12) just snapped a three-game losing streak and stand in 12th place in the Western Conference. Bryant also holds out hope that his 21 points on 8 of 15 shooting and seven assists in 32 minutes continuously shows he’ll morph back into the player that once made him great.

In Bryant's own words (per Medina):

Obviously we have some improvements to make, whether it ‘s with the guys we have in the locker room or whatever management wants to do, I have no idea about that, but it’s not my job to focus on that, Bryant said. It’s our job to focus on what we have and making sure we’re making the necessary improvements every day to get there.

Championship talk is all well and good and you wouldn’t expect anything else from Bryant. For now however, let’s just lo...

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