Kobe Bryant’s Ultimate Training Camp Checklist for 2013-14 Season

Even if last season was full of disappointment for the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant held up his end of the bargain—and then some—at 34 years old. 

When all was said and done, Bryant averaged 27.3 points on 46.3 percent shooting and tied a career-high with six assists per game in 2012-13. However, Bryant's year came to a screeching halt when he blew out his Achilles shortly before season's end. 

Now, entering uncertain waters, Bryant is on the mend from a devastating injury. His availability for opening day on Oct. 29 against the Los Angeles Clippers remains up in the air. 

With tipoff just around the corner, it's time to break down what Kobe must do upon returning to improve in the months ahead. 

 

1. Fine-Tune His Three-Point Stroke 

This may come as a bit of a surprise, but Kobe Bryant's effectiveness from beyond the arc has decreased steadily over the past four years. In fact, since shooting 35.1 percent from deep in 2008-09, Bryant has been unable to top the 33-percent mark from three.



That's problematic, especially for a player who became more reliant on the three-point shot last season and is recovering from an injury that could limit his explosiveness.

Kobe attempted 407 treys last year, the third-highest mark of his career. Bryant jacked up more threes per game in 2012-13 than he had since 2006-07. So while his scoring productivity may be holding steady, the way in which he's looking to score is changing with age.

And according to Basketball-Reference, Bryant's 407 attempts from three were his most from any range on the floor (16-23 feet ranked second with 378 attempts) in 2012-13. 

Last season, Bryant hit 32.4 percent of his threes. One reason may be that he attempted very few corner threes, which are the most efficient long-range shots on the floor. 


Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers