NBA Preview: Five Bold Predictions For 2014-15

Dec 17, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard

(9) guards Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Brynt (24) during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 96-92 Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Kobe Bryant Will Significantly Drop Off — And It’ll Be Sad To Watch

By no means is this a knock on Kobe Bryant. The dude has been great for the better part, if not all, of his career thus far. He’s a future hall of famer, and a (potentially) top-10 player of all-time.

With that said, I believe that Kobe’s best days in the NBA are behind him — way behind.

Kobe has played six games 16 months, it will be 17 once the NBA season comes around. In those six games, returning from an achilles injury prior to suffering a fractured lateral tibial plateau, Kobe looked dull. He wasn’t explosive, couldn’t beat any defenders off the dribble and looked like a shell of his former self.

Albiet, it was six games.

Still, I believe those six games are a closer indication of what we’ll see from the future hall of famer this season, than his previous 17 seasons.

It’s not going to be easy on the eyes, especially for those that watched Kobe growing up (myself included). While I don’t categorize myself as a Kobe stan (thankfully so), I do appreciate what he did for the game. Without Kobe, the game would look entirely different today.

He transcended the 2000’s and gave us, those who weren’t fortunate enough to live through the Michael Jordan years, a similar-type experience of what watching Jordan actually felt like.

Kobe is probably going to have his two worst seasons of his career to close out his era. Viewer discretion is advised.