Kobe Bryant throws his teammates on his shoulders, fires up a lot of shots and the Lakers win or lose based on his accuracy.

It’s part of the chicken-and-egg narrative that has appeared plenty of times in his 19-year career. And it’s a hot topic again, given the Lakers’ 0-5 start, their worst since 1957.

Bryant’s critics say he shouldn’t shoot 37 times in a game, as he did Tuesday, because it can alienate teammates and sink morale — especially when he misses 23 times.

But really, what other choice does Bryant have with a roster like the current one?


Jeremy Lin hasn’t shown much, Carlos Boozer has shown even less, and Wesley Johnson continues to disappear for game-long stretches. The bench consists of two players with non-guaranteed contracts, a rookie second-round draft pick, Ryan Kelly and Ed Davis.

Bryant is averaging 27.6 points a game, second in the league before Wednesday’s games, but is way down in the NBA’s efficiency formula that includes points, rebounds and assists but also missed field goals and turnovers. His rating is 17.4, second-worst among the top 25 scorers, above only Carmelo Anthony (14.0).

On one play in the Lakers’ 112-106 loss Tuesday to the Phoenix Suns, Bryant dribbled the ball some 23 feet away from the basket, going left, right and left again, all in an attempt to shake free from Marcus Morris.

It showed a Western Conference scout that Bryant is doing a lot of “dancing” with the ball and that he “settles” for jump shots because at age 36 he can’t get to the basket as often.


“Every once in a while he’ll get by somebody because he is smart enough to use his body,” said the scout, who was not authorized to speak publicly. “But he’s still shooting the ball a lot.”

Bryant is shooting an NBA-high 24.4 times a game with only 40.2% accuracy — 5.2 percentage points below his career mark.

As one Eastern Conference scout said, he is taking all those shots “whether they are good shots or bad shots.”

“He just takes them on a team where it seems like nobody else wants to shoot the ball,” the scout said.


Bryant played only six games last season while recovering from Achilles’ tendon surgery and then sustaining a fractured left knee, and the East scout said it will take some time for his leg strength to return.

Bryant’s been fine within eight feet of the basket, hitting 56%, but tails off badly from eight to 16 feet, making only 21%. His three-point shooting is also off, 30.4% for a player with 33.5% career accuracy.

He limped out of the trainer’s room after scoring 39 points Tuesday. He acknowledged feeling sore but looked forward to four days between games as the Lakers try to get their first win Sunday against Charlotte.

Bryant spoke in a monotone, subdued and almost deflated. But also defiant at times.


“I’ll go out there and I’ll leave on the floor everything, and compete and not be fearful of criticism or fearful of not playing well or missing shots,” he said. “That’s the same way I want the guys to play, Jeremy in particular, because he’s a really good player. He’s just getting used to playing with that kind of effort and attitude.”

Lakers Coach Byron Scott commended Bryant after the game, saying he “battled all night long.”

To be fair, not even Phil Jackson could always rein in Bryant.

Bryant averaged 27.1 shots in the first year of Jackson’s second run with the Lakers. But Bryant also shot a more palatable 45% that season while averaging a career-high 35.4 points.


His demeanor in games these days is as interesting as anything else. He shook his head plenty of times in Tuesday’s loss, simmering and stewing either at himself, the referees or his teammates.

But also on a telling play in the second quarter, his shot was blocked out of bounds by Miles Plumlee.

Bryant stared at Plumlee for a couple of seconds, waited for him to make eye contact, and said with a nod, “Good block.” He got Plumlee back a minute later, driving and scoring over the Phoenix center.

As the losses pile up, there’s one ever-increasing certainty.


Bryant will keep shooting. And shooting. And, the Lakers hope, doing it accurately.

Nash’s golfing video

Steve Nash posted to his Instagram account this week a brief video of himself whacking a golf ball at a driving range. People cheered in the background because he appeared to hit it a solid distance.

Nash, 40, was ruled out for the season last month because of recurring back problems. Fans weren’t overly kind in responding on his Instagram page.


The more printable comments included “thought he was injured” and “can’t carry a [travel] bag but can … swing like tiger woods.”

The Lakers declined to comment. Nash is in the last year of a contract paying him $9.7 million this season.

The Lakers have allowed Nash to spend time away from the team but Scott is hopeful he’ll eventually serve as a mentor for the team’s younger players.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com


broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @Mike_Bresnahan

Twitter: @BA_Turner

Times correspondent Eric Pincus contributed to this report.