Kobe Discovers He Has Teammates

Since the NBA playoffs started on April 22, the NBA has been provided with several great storylines. You have LeBron James in the playoffs for the first time; you can also talk about how Dirk Nowitzki is playing; and how about those Clippers?

Despite all these storylines, however, the biggest story of the playoffs thus far has to be the play of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. After Sunday's game, the Lakers now lead their first round series with the Phoenix Suns, three games to one. If that isn't astonishing enough, the Lakers have gotten this series with balanced play as Kobe Bryant has changed his whole personality as a player.

He has become a facilitator that has allowed other players on his team to get involved. Players like Kwame Brown and Luke Walton have played pivotal roles in the series because Bryant's ability to find them in spots where they can score easily. Lamar Odom is another person to benefit from Bryant's change in play.

What has caused this change in Bryant's play? Why has Bryant suddenly started to believe in his teammates is anyone's guess, but I believe that this postseason has given the world a glimpse of the maturity of Kobe Bryant as a basketball player.

During the regular season, Kobe was a fantasy owner's dream. He averaged 35.4 points per game including a 62-point game in which he only played three quarters, and then there is his 81-point spectacle against the Toronto Raptors. However, there were plenty of times where the Lakers resembled a one-man show. This strategy proved somewhat effective as Bryant was able to carry the team to the playoffs, earning them the No. 7 seed.

Unfortunately, one-man shows do not last very long in the playoffs, so many people (including myself) had the Lakers losing the matchup with the Suns.

Before Game 1, Kobe tried to tell the public that he would "stay within the game plan," but very few believed him. Then Game 1 was played and Kobe backed his word by not forcing shots. Even though the Lakers lost, the game plan was designed and executed brilliantly. Few thought this would continue.

This is where the maturity of Kobe Bryant comes into play. Bryant recognizes that the easiest way for the Lakers to win against the Suns is not with him hoisting 25+ shots, but with the Lakers pounding the ball inside. This allows the aforementioned Brown and Walton to get involved and brings Lamar Odom into play. This strategy has allowed the scoring for Lamar Odom to increase from 14.8 points per game to 19.0 points per game. His rebounding has also increased from 9.2 rebounds per game to 12.7 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

Though Bryant's scoring average is down to 22.7 points per game from 35.4 points per game in the regular season, the Lakers have now seized control of the series. Bryant has shown flashes of his former self, taking over at the end of games. On average, though, Bryant has become a complete team player. He is even averaging close to 6 assists per game (5.7 is the actual number).

Will this play continue? Will the Lakers continue to win playing this style? Will the Lakers' role players continue to make shots? Will Lamar Odom continue to play aggressively on both ends of the floor? These are some of the questions that the Lakers will have to answer and continue to answer as they try to advance further in the NBA playoffs.

Leading the way for the Lakers is a new, more mature Kobe Bryant, one who seems determined to play the "team" game and keep his teammates involved. Stay tuned to see whether this translates into to wins for Kobe and the Lakers.