So what have we gathered  from Kobe’s 61-point eruption?

For one, it’s a reminder to the opponents that Kobe is still Kobe.  He can score points when he wants to.  When Andrew Bynum went down, I could feel the gloom around Lakerland.  So, this is Kobe’s way of saying, hey Andrew Bynum went down, not Kobe Bryant!  This Laker team is still definitely still in the finals hunt, thinks Kobe.

My thoughts are, yeah, the Lakers can still reach the finals but can they win the last game of the season?  When I say the last game of the season, I mean win the Finals.

By scoring 61 points, was Kobe sending the right message?  Is he saying the Lakers are still the team to beat?  Or is he saying, to beat the Lakers, you have to stop my scoring spree?  Any true Laker fan knows that Jackson wants the other players to find their groove so come playoff time, when the opponents dares the other players to beat them, those other players can deliver.  Boston dared the other Laker players to beat them, look at the results.

Kobe could very well be just playing us all.  He was just performing like that since he was playing at the Madison Square Garden.  It’s his favorite arena.  In fact it is written that there were several reasons why he decided to abandon the team offense and went berserk.

If Kobe is wise, he knows that he has to keep doing what he has been doing the past few games – make plays.  He has to ease Odom into the offense.  He has to lead the defense.  He has to give the other players the chance to gain confidence.

They can win it all without Bynum.  Kobe just has to help Odom find his groove.  Kobe just has to help the other players gain their confidence.

I’m sure Kobe already knows that.