Nick Young: Kobe-less Lakers played like 'Django Unchained' in win over Warriors
Well, that's one way to put it.
On the night that Lakers coach Byron Scott decided to rest 36-year-old Kobe Bryant, who's averaged a team high 35.4 minutes this season and complained about fatigue during recent struggles, the rest of the gold and purple spanked the league-leading Golden State Warriors 115-105.
“Some guys just played like ‘Django Unchained' -- they were free tonight,” Nick Young said.
Two weeks ago, Bryant and Young trash-talked a bit during a practice, after which Bryant concluded that the team was "soft like Charmin."
In the surprising victory over the Warriors, none of the Lakers took more than 13 shots (Young) or fewer than five (Jordan Hill). Bryant, who has often shown a lack of faith in his teammates, has attempted 22.4 shots per game this season, most in the NBA.
So what now, when Kobe returns for the 9-19 Lakers?
“Pretty much going to have to tell Kobe to pass me the ball, pass us the ball,” Young said. “Tell him to take the backseat for a little bit. He can be ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ and I can be Miss Daisy and drive.”
Scott still has to manage the entire cast and his superstar and Young, who incredibly found a way to reference two films nominated for a Best Picture in one post-game interview ("Driving Miss Daisy" won the Oscar).
“[Tuesday] was one game,” Scott said. “Again, you’re looking at one game instead of the whole season or a smaller sample, let’s say 20 games or 30 games. We do have to lean on him at times. He’s one of the best players that’s ever played in this game.”
We won't have to wait long to see how Kobe and the gang get along after the big win -- the Lakers face the Bulls in Chicago on Christmas Day at 8 p.m. ET.
Will it go more like "Crash" or "Atonement"?
