The Los Angeles Lakers have a guard rotation of Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell, Lou Williams and of course Kobe Bryant. It was assumed that Bryant would slide over to the three position for stretches this season and when Lakers’ trainer Gary Vitti discussed it with him, Kobe’s reaction was “I can do that.” Which is probably Kobe’s reaction to every question he is ever asked. But how about Kobe as a small four?
Not sure how Kobe feels about it, but Lakers’ coach Byron Scott is thinking about it, he told David Aldridge of NBA.com (hat tip to NBA Reddit).
“The one thing that we wanted to do and accomplish through this draft and through free agency was to try and be a little more versatile, have some versatility. So I think (Clarkson, Russell, Williams) can definitely do that. Kobe can play one, two and three. There’s no doubt in my mind. And there’s some games. against some teams, where he’ll probably play four. With his tenaciousness, the way he guards people and when his mind is set, if I say ‘Kobe, you’ve got him,’ he takes that as a challenge. You know how he is. He’ll compete.”
I’m sure Kobe is up for any challenge and in some cases it will work where other teams have a smaller player at the four as well but teams in the West where Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka and more are there, Kobe would certainly be outmatched and Julius Randle and Brandon Bass will have to step as real the power forward.
