Kobe Bryant is leading the NBA in scoring and is in the discussion for the 2012 NBA MVP Award. Bryant also has the Los Angeles Lakers winning basketball games, even as the team has lost most of its depth. Above all that, Bryant has become a stud in fantasy basketball once again, making owners that drafted him ecstatic this season.
Through the first 17 games for the Lakers this season, Bryant is averaging more than 38 minutes a night. That is way more than the 34 minutes he was getting per game last year, and it raises serious questions about whether he can keep up this pace all the way into the Western Conference Playoffs. His body is already pretty banged up, so it may come down to how much will he has and if it is enough to carry a team that can't seem to reestablish its dominance in the West.
Bryant leads the NBA in scoring at 30.4 points per game and has actually improved his field goal percentage slightly from last season. His rebounding numbers are up to 5.5per game, he is recording more assists at 5.7 per game and Bryant is even getting to the free throw line more often than he has in the past two years. This is all adding up to a very consistent stat line from night to night and it has kept fantasy owners that drafted him very happy this season.
Some say that this is the prime opportunity to sell-high on Bryant and seek a trade for him in fantasy basketball leagues. I can understand that argument, especially because Bryant is nursing several injuries and is trying to work with a 33-year-old body during a lockout shortened season. Logic would dictate that Bryant can't keep up this pace for the full year, but it should have also predicted that he wouldn't put together a streak of games where he scored more than 40 points in four straight games (which he just did).
The Lakers aren't blowing away the competition and have just a 10-7 record so far, but that could actually help keep his statistics high. If the Lakers aren't blowing teams out and aren't losing big, then coach Mike Brown will keep him on the floor to try to get the team back into games. If Bryant wants the scoring title, he is in the best position of any player to just go out and get it. I think he can and that regardless of my opinion on Bryant and the number of shots he is taking, he will remain extremely valuable in fantasy basketball.
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