MIM Notes 229                   March 1, 2001

Kobe needs democratic centralism

By MC5

Because of popular demand, MIM offers its scientific analysis of 
the earthshaking Kobe/Shaq feud in the National Basketball 
Association (NBA). Last year Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal won 
the national championship with the Los Angeles Lakers and O'Neal 
won MVP of the year and the series.

When Glen Rice left the team, Kobe Bryant used that departure as 
an excuse to hog the ball and take more shots. Two months ago, 
coach Phil Jackson of coaching-Michael-Jordan fame told Kobe to 
pass the ball to Shaq more and resume his role as in last year's 
championship team. In defiance of his coach, Kobe replied that he 
would step up his perysnal shooting game or be traded to another 
team. 

With the influence of advertising on sports, Kobe Bryant probably 
wants to be known as the top dog, so he can get more endorsement 
deals. Such is the corrupting influence of capitalism on sports.

Statistically, of course coach Phil Jackson is right and he should 
not have to prove it, except that egotistical maniacs cannot see 
the writing on the wall. The criticism of Shaq is that he cannot 
shoot foul shots, while Kobe can. On the other hand, Shaq has a 
higher percentage of his regular shots go in than Kobe does.

Scientifically there is an answer to who is right. Who should be 
taking more shots for the good of the team, Kobe or Shaq? In the 
last two minutes of the game, because of special rules regarding 
foul shots, no one claims Shaq should get the ball too often. The 
question is the first 46 minutes when Shaq can make the last two 
minutes irrelevant.

Fortunately, to earn foul shots from referees, one must attempt to 
shoot the ball. Hence, because it counts foul shots and regular 
shots the way they count in the game, there is a formula that 
answers the question who is the better total offensive player, 
Shaq or Kobe: points per shot attempt. The answer is that all 
along, Shaq has been the better offensive player. As of January 
12, he averages 1.36 points per shot attempt despite his lousy 
foul shooting while Kobe only averages 1.29 points per shot 
attempt. That should settle the question, but there is more.

Coach Jackson's strategy has some further qualitative sense to it 
in terms of defense. Shaq only shoots the ball when he is right 
under hoop. If he misses, the players further away from the hoop 
can get ready to play defense, but if Kobe misses with one of his 
jump shots from 25 feet out, his whole team is at a disadvantage 
to run down from their own basket to the basket where they have to 
defend. It leaves only Kobe to play defense, and Kobe cannot clog 
up the basket like monster-sized Shaq can.

The result is simple: the Los Angeles Lakers are losing twice as 
many games as last year. Kobe Bryant has allowed his subjectivism 
to bring down the level of team play. He needs to obey democratic-
centralism--discipline for the good of the team.

On some level, the kind of discipline MIM requires of its members 
and encourages among activists is no different: We ask that 
members put the interests of the revolutionary movement and 
organizations first, ahead of their persynal interests. Still, 
because of rampant Amerikan individualism, many comrades have 
trouble being "team players," and instead are revolutionary ball 
hogs, or worse, armchair quarterbacks. While Kobe has quite a bit 
of talent and a case can be made for running the Lakers offense 
through him, many would-be-revolutionaries talk smack without 
being able to back it up.

Note: 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teamstats?team=lal