February 19th, 2010 by Chase
1. Receiving Ball In The Post
In today’s game you will often see players getting fronted when trying to post up on the block. Many times this actually works and the player who is posting up is unable to receive the ball and the play is broken. This is one of the most underappreciated skills Kobe Bryant possesses. He has the trained skill of being able to shield off a defender every time on the offensive end and prevent him from fronting. When was the last time you saw Kobe get fronted and not get the basketball? Never!
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2. The Pick n’ Roll with Pau Gasol
The Pick n’ Roll, the play once mastered by Karl Malone and John Stockton and now widely used throughout the NBA game is once again masterfully run with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. The difference is that their version of the Pick n’ Roll is even more complex. Which is has to be because of the advances defenses in the NBA have made in stopping it. The video below gives you an idea of how Pau and Kobe run the pick n’ roll in clutch situations.
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3. Mid-Range Jumper from All Angles
NBA players these days are great at two things, points around the rim or in the paint and 3 pointers. But the mid-range game has been lost for the most part in the NBA. One of the things that makes Kobe Bryant so great is that he has developed a dominate mid-range game making it impossible for defenses to double team him at certain times of the game.
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4. Ball Protection in Traffic
As Kobe has gotten older and slowed down in his overall athleticism, it’s been amazing to see how crafty he is going to the rim and how he can protect the ball so well before finishing. Somehow he always finds a way to not get stripped, even with 2 or 3 guys swiping at the ball as he is going to the rim.
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5. Free Throw Shooting
Practice, form, and repetition. Kobe Bryant is one of the best high volume free throw shooters in the history of the game. What do I mean by this? For players who actually get to the free throw line 5-8 times or more per night, he is one of the highest percentage at the line in the history of the game. People always talk about how clutch Kobe Bryant is. One of the reasons behind this is due to the fact that you can’t foul him at the end of games because you know he’s going to hit his free throws.
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Now it’s your turn! What other specific skills of the game do you admire of Kobe’s?
