That approach may have failed when Phil Jackson or Mike Brown was in charge, but letting Bryant run the offense with D'Antoni at the helm is probably the best thing for the team right now. He has completely bought into the fast-paced system, and is the Lakers' best playmaker with Nash still hurt.
That isn't to say that Bryant should automatically be the point guard. This is a system Nash knows well, and he will be the quarterback on the floor once he is fully recovered and ready to play again. However, in his absence, better to let Bryant be in charge instead of an untested youngster in Morris or someone like Duhon who is simply average, if even that.
This season alone, Bryant has already had some fine nights in the passing department. He notched 11 assists in a win against the Houston Rockets on November 18, and eight in the Lakers' recent victory over the Denver Nuggets.
His performance against Denver is particularly noteworthy, as he scored just 15 points on 5 of 15 shooting. His stat-line was less that of an elite scorer and more of a traditional scoring point guard. Granted, it's just one game, but it shows that Bryant can indeed turn down the scoring and focus on creating plays and getting his teammates involved.
D'Antoni can also create more opportunities on offense by installing Bryant at the point, namely by means of stretching the floor. Consider this: Bryant runs the point, Jodie Meeks starts at shooting guard and Metta World Peace starts at small forw...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
