Lakers' Brown OK with Kobe Bryant shooting a lot...if he's open

Lakers’ Brown OK with Kobe Bryant shooting a lot...if he’s open

By Mike Bresnahan

March 9, 2012 12 AM PT

Minneapolis — Kobe Bryant took a lot of shots (31) and made very few (nine) in the Lakers’ humiliating 106-101 loss to Washington.

Coach Mike Brown critiqued some of Bryant’s shot selection after that game, but said Friday he was fine with Bryant shooting “if they’re good shots.”

“Don’t get me wrong, that’s a lot of shots, and you hope that it’s spread out more [among players], but Kobe’s been taking a lot of shots his whole career and he’s had success with it,” Brown said. “If he’s open, I’m OK with him taking it. That’s how I was with LeBron [James]. If LeBron’s open, I’m OK with him taking it.”

Brown coached James in Cleveland for five seasons before being fired. He is in his first season as the Lakers’ coach.

The Lakers finish what has been a numbingly bad three-game road trip Friday night in Minnesota. They lost to Detroit in overtime the day before losing to Washington.

Bryant made only eight of 26 attempts in the loss to Detroit.

He is shooting 43.5% this season, what would be his worst accuracy since shooting 43.3% in 2004-05.

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Mike Brown’s criticism of Kobe Bryant’s shot selection overdue