Kobe Bryant can't travel with his Los Angeles Lakers after undergoing surgery to repair his torn left Achilles tendon, so taking in Sunday's Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs from the AT&T Center wasn't an option for the superstar guard. But despite being couch-bound, "Coach Vino" still had an itch to break down the game, telling his Twitter followers on Saturday that he planned to be tweeting about the series-opening proceedings throughout the Sunday afternoon contest.
Let it never be said that the Mamba's not a man of his word, or a man of 140-character bursts of analysis. Bryant started weighing in right after the opening tip, and kept chiming in throughout the matchup, kicking things off with a brief analysis of his just-returned-from-injury teammate, point guard Steve Nash:
I like how Nash is moving so far. Both teams a lil out of rhythm to start
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
Pretty good description of the Lakers and Spurs combining to shoot 5 for 16 through the game's opening four minutes, I'd say.
Speaking of that shaky shooting, the Lakers' first eight field-goal attempts were jumpers. This fact did not escape the Mamba's notice.
Gotta get to the block. See wat spurs r gonna do with pau and d12
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
Like, it really didn't escape his notice.
What I would say if I was there right now? "Pau get ur ass on the block and don't move till u get it" #realtalk
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
Really.
Post. Post. Post.
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
Gotta milk pau in the post right now and d12. Will get good looks from it
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
While the larger point makes sense — the one area in which the Lakers have a very apparent strength and the possibility of creating a mismatch is in the post with the combination of Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol — the Lakers were largely unable to make the Spurs pay for loading up down low by knocking down perimeter shots, going just 4 for 15 on long jumpers and just 3 for 15 from 3-point range in Sunday's game, according to NBA.com's shot charts.
Bryant didn't seem thrilled with the Lakers' offensive game plan or their early defensive execution as San Antonio took a quick lead, but he did get some enjoyment out of the first-half action — like, for example, when ABC play-by-play man Mike Breen used a Kobe-inspired nickname for sharpshooting Spurs reserve Matt Bonner, who drew a foul while taking a 3-point shot:
#redmamba haha I luv that
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
We luv it too, Kobe — especially the way you're not only interacting with fans, but actually analyzing the game in the process:
@themontelshow spurs ability to change sides of the floor andget penetration is hurting us.have to pick up pressure,make them uncomfortable
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
@nbarocksstc I agree. Lethargic start for us. Gotta minimize little mistakes like giving up the middle drive on close outs
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
@lakergangordie_ lot of correctable things. Lil strategic adjustments we can make Spurs hurt us with quiet 5-0/6-0 runs that kept us at bay
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
While I think the interaction's great and the fans seem to love it, Kobe's not so sure the league office will agree:
@katensingler yea me 2!! Lol No telling what I might say! #rulechangescoming
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
The Spurs led by as many as 12 in the first half and took an eight-point lead into intermission, but the Lakers hung close thanks to unspectacular Spurs shooting, strong play from the frontcourt tandem of Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, and a surprising two-way spark from guard Steve Blake. The combination of L.A.'s grit and San Antonio's inability to run away gave Bryant some third-quarter hope for swiping home-court advantage:
This game has a "steal one" written all over it for us
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
But eight points in the final 90 seconds of the third quarter from Manu Ginobili turned a seven-point Spurs lead into a 13-point advantage heading into the fourth, and the Spurs continued to put on the pressure throughout the final frame, opening up a 16-point lead after a Matt Bonner 3-pointer with 4:05 remaining. The Lakers' execution, especially with respect to shutting off Tony Parker's drive-and-kick game, displeased the Mamba:
Matador Defense on Parker. His penetration is hurting us
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
Hey, if anyone knows matador defense when he sees it, it's the 2012-13 edition of Kobe Bryant.
The Lakers failed to mount much of an offensive attack as the clock ticked down, finishing 30 for 73 from the field with 18 turnovers as San Antonio earned a 91-79 win to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The punchless performance frustrated Bryant, much as it did every fan watching:
Nothing worse then watching your bothers struggle and u can't do crap about it #realtalk
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
We'll assume he meant "brothers." Sometimes it's hard to tweet accurately when you're upset. We've all been there, Kobe. If it makes you feel any better, though, your old coach thinks your analysis was spot-on (even if he's not sure what your Twitter handle is):
@kobe was coaching this one. He was on the beam
— Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) April 21, 2013
See? Silver linings, and all that.
While Kobe's old coach seemed to think the injured guard had the right idea about the Lakers' strategic struggles, his current coach, Mike D'Antoni, seemed a bit less pleased, according to ESPN Los Angeles' Arash Markazi:
D'Antoni on Kobe's in-game tweets: "It's great to have that commentary." (Rolls his eyes.)
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 21, 2013
D'Antoni if Kobe's in-game tweets are appropriate: "He's a fan. He's a fan right now."
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 21, 2013
That response seemed to take Bryant by surprise:
A fan?? Lol #microphonetalk
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
It's great to hear that, just as they've been all season, Bryant and D'Antoni appear to be on the same page.
The Lakers' next shot to even up the series and wrest home-court advantage from the favored Spurs comes Wednesday night, when Game 2 tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET at the AT&T Center. Given the amount of attention Sunday's missives got, we suspect Kobe will be tweeting up a storm during that one, too.
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