Featured Matchup: Lakers’ Kobe Bryant v. Magic’s Victor Oladipo

Today we turn our attention toward the matchup between Kobe Bryant and Victor Oladipo as the Magic travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers.

FRIDAY JAN 9 @ Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 PM ET

Lakers’ Vitals: 11-25 overall (.306), 5-12 at home; 5-4 vs. Eastern Conference; negative-6.6 point differential

The Los Angeles Lakers have been the disaster everyone expected. After Kobe Bryant inked a new deal still in accord with the grandfathering of his contract, it crippled the Lakers’ chances at improving the roster immediately and maybe for the near future. While Kobe’s “payoff” contract still looks suspect in the eyes of purists, he is cashing in on his legendary status as the second-best shooting guard in NBA history.

Apparently, the only thing left for ‘Mamba’ to do is overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list. Despite this, a still dominant Bryant indicates this is not even a worry for him.

Maybe it is not. But that seems doubtful given the breakneck pace at which the once ultra athletic Kobe played. He is playing smarter basketball in his later years, another hallmark of Michael Jordan himself. As a child, I always felt Jordan was enough to keep a team in a game regardless of lack of supporting cast.

The same holds true of Bryant, tonight, and on every given night. This is a guy who scored 81 points in a game. This is a player Victor Oladipo will try to stop, and doing so will slay this Lakers team quickly.

Featured Matchup: Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant vs. Victor Oladipo

BREAKING

KOBE BRYANT

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/9/2015.

VICTOR OLADIPO

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/9/2015.

Oladipo’s defensive talents are not in question. He plays smart ‘D’ and will avoid reaching on Kobe’s ball fakes. That will keep the Magic’s star in the game, rather than sitting out with foul trouble as Bryant can do to starting 2-guards. Oladipo should seek to play “conservative defense” on Bryant, because that approach has worked best in the past for those covering him.

By seeking to force Kobe into mistakes, it only opens up more options for him. Ultimately, the best hope for an opposing shooting guard is that Kobe either grows cold, or that he tires to the point that he can be attacked on the other end of the court.

Make no mistake, Bryant is playing less and scoring less. His PER is only 17.7, not far above the standardized league average of 15.0. That indicates his efficiency has plummeted, though he still puts up 23 points per game while posting 5.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per contest as well.

Moreover, in his last 10 games, Kobe is averaging just 16.2 points per game, looking to dish more with seven assists per night. The fact remains, over that stretch, he is shooting 36.3 percent from the floor.

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Of course, the best coaches realize one crucial fact about this Lakers team: Bryant cannot do it all by himself.

If Oladipo is trusted to single-cover Kobe (and he will be), this limits the impact of Nick Young, Jordan Hill and company. Neither of those respective talents should be hurting the Magic, and it is a stretch to think that Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic/Kyle O’Quinn will have any trouble with the Lakers’ second and third best players.

Carlos Boozer, too, is still effective. He is playing just 25 minutes a game, but it could be reasonably said the Lakers’ best players are the interior starters, Boozer and Hill. The focus will be on Bryant, but given the fact the Magic have solid interior defense, this should be a win for the men in blue, white and black.

NBA oddsmakers do not agree, with a popular betting site listing the Magic as three-point underdogs in the game. Given the Magic’s strong play on the road—and the fact the Lakers are just 5-12 at Staples Center—sets the stage for what should be a nice upset.

Next: Five crucial details from Magic's loss to Nuggets on Wednesday