Cap's Corner - 3/18/11

With Bryant now climbing all the way up to No 7 on the all-time scoring list, wat do you think has made him stand out as a scorer?

KAJ: Kobe has been able to become such a prolific scorer because he has consistently been able to get his shot off against any and all defenders. He can shoot the ball efficiently from any place on the court. With the game on the line he is stable and confident enough to deliver on a consistent basis. His talent draws double team strategies from Laker opponents and thus opens up opportunities for his teammates.

As No 1 on that list what do you feel made you such a standout scorer?

KAJ: I was able to score because the shots I wanted to take were high percentage shots in the heart of the pain. One on one I was unstoppable so the defense would try to help whoever was guarding me. This tactic opened up shooting oopportunities for my teammates on the perimeter. When the defense stayed home on my teammates I had the paint one on one against my defender. I shot 56% lifetime and 72% from the free throw line. That forced the defense to choose how they would play against the Laker offense.

Bryant is the only other guard besides MJ and Oscar Robertson in the top 10. What do those three players have in common?

KAJ: Kobe, Michael and Oscar shared an ability to handle the ball well enough to get their shot off. They shot the ball efficiently from mid range and they could attack the basket for layups against defense that relaxed and didn't help against them.

Would you have enjoyed playing on the perimeter?

KAJ: I have never felt that I would be successful playing a perimeter offensive game. I tried to use my skills to dominate in the paint because I have distinct advantage (ie my height) in the paint

Kobe is noted for having a relentless drive. Who among your teammates was similarly driven?

KAJ: I never played with a player who was driven like Kobe. I think Oscar Robertson had the skills and pride that Kobe manifests but his drive was not as obvious as Kobe's.

How do you feel you would have meshed with Kobe?

KAJ: I'm sure I could have meshed my skills with Kobe's because he does his thing in a different area of the court than I did. We could have been a good inside/outside threat as teammates.

What were you impressions of Moses Malone? What made him excel as a basketball player?

KAJ Answer 7. Moses was a hard worker especially in the rebounding aspect of the game. He was able to be a great force on the boards because he focused on that part of the game. He could help his team by getting offensive rebounds
and by denying the opponent offensive rebound opportunities. By getting his team extra scoring opportunities and minimizing
the extra opportunities for the other team Moses was often able to dominate games.