Nash and Kobe: Will it Work?

I was reading 15 things You Should Give Up To Be Happy and was proud of myself for accomplishing a few of them.  Yes!

But then I started to think about Kobe Bean Bryant.  I know that he is incredibly confident so he's probably never engaged in "defeating self talk".  And he definitely does not "limit his beliefs".  Kobe is still the best player in the world in his head. But these are the only two boxes that I think Kobe can check on this list which must mean he is an incredibly unhappy person.  I kid. Having uber millions and hot babes (he's single!) makes for some happy times (but possibly not true happiness?)

Kobe is always right. He thirsts to be in control at all times.  He needs the ball and loves to shoot while double teamed.  There's no better feeling that Kobe has than when he nails an elbow jumper over the double team (with Pau sitting wide open on the baseline).  His shots per minute and usage rate are some of the highest in the league even at his advanced basketball age and with two All Star big men in the post. Man, that's just Kobe being Kobe.

But Kobe being Kobe will not work with Steve Nash in town.  Steve Nash only works when he is dribbling all over the half court probing the defense for opportunities. He's a master at setting his teammates up with easy, open looks if you just allow this to happen by being in the right spot on the court. Nash doesn't work when he just passes to a wing or enters the ball into the post and resets on the opposite side of the court.  Just ask Terry Porter and Shaq.  And if you ask him to be a "traditional" point guard you defeat the purpose of Nash. It's not like he helps a team's defense.

Will Kobe completely change his game with Nash in town?  Kobe likes to score, yes, but he also likes to dribble and create.  Dribbles and time with the ball feed the Mamba's ego. If he realizes this and cuts his time with the ball down, this can work. If Mike Brown asks Nash to be a traditional PG, this will not go well.

Thanks to Henry at TrueHoop for his piece which I blatantly stole from.