espi

You're forgetting Shaq. Part of the reason Kobe is consistently in the top 3 in scoring averages is because he's always had Shaq to draw defenders into the paint, leaving Kobe relatively free for a midrange to deep shot. Vlade and Brian Grant certainly aren't going to attract that kind of attention, leaving defenders free to help out on Kobe. If the Lakers play Odom at the 4, he'll certainly draw defenders, but I don't think Odom can consistently play the 4 out West. (Of course, I thought the same thing about Andrei Kirilenko last year).

That being said, I still think Kobe is going to have a huge year, and will probably have higher averages than ever before. But, only because he doesn't have to defer to Shaq in the triangle. After Kobe and Odom, whose gonna score on that squad?

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