Kobe Bryant Among Week's Worst Shooters Entering All-Star Weekend

<img src="https://s.graphiq.com/sites/default/files/stories/t4/Los_Angeles_Lakers_guard_Kobe_Bryant_17861_10793.jpg" alt="Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant." style="max-width: 100%">

<p>With the 2016 NBA All-Star break now officially upon us, fans can reflect upon pre-All-Star play, look forward to what will (or won’t) happen at the trade deadline and mull whether the <a href="http://nba-teams.pointafter.com/l/10/Golden-State-Warriors" target="_blank">Golden State Warriors</a> or <a href="http://nba-teams.pointafter.com/l/27/San-Antonio-Spurs" target="_blank">San Antonio Spurs</a> will win the title.</p>

<p>For players entering the break in the midst of shooting slumps, it can be a time to recharge with some much needed rest to get in the right state of mind. The <a href="http://www.pointafter.com" target="_blank">PointAfter</a> team found three players (guard, wing and forward/center) who skittered into All-Star weekend laying bricks in their wake.</p>

<p>Interestingly, one of the three is poised to suit up in the All-Star game (deservedly or not).</p>

<p><em>Note: Statistics in this article cover games between Feb. 5-11.</em></p><strong>



<h2><br/> Guard: Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets<br/> </h2>

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<p><a href="http://basketball-players.pointafter.com/l/115/Patrick-Beverley" target="_blank">Patrick Beverley</a> hobbled into the All-Star break after tweaking his left ankle during a 116-103 loss at the hands of the <a href="http://nba-teams.pointafter.com/l/25/Portland-Trail-Blazers" target="_blank">Portland Trail Blazers</a> on Wednesday. After the game head coach J.B. Bickerstaff <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400828687" target="_blank">said of his Rockets</a>, “We’re broken. It’s that simple.”</p>

<p>Now that he’s nursing a sore ankle, Beverley won’t be able to defend his title in the All-Star Skills Challenge. Instead, <a href="http://nba-teams.pointafter.com/l/8/Denver-Nuggets" target="_blank">Denver Nuggets</a> rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay <a href="http://www.nba.com/2016/news/as.skills.challenge/02/11/nuggets-emmanuel-mudiay-replaces-rockets-patrick-beverley-in-skills-challenge/" target="_blank">will replace him</a>.</p>

<p>Beverley’s rough week was a microcosm of Houston’s disastrous season. The former second-round pick suited up in three games (all losses) and finished 7-of-24 shooting (29.2 percent).</p>

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<p>The bulk of Beverley’s woes occurred beyond the arc, as he missed 12 consecutive threes over Houston’s last three contests. The only trey he made was a useless triple with 21 seconds left against Portland, which gave the Rockets 103 points rather than 100 in a 13-point loss.</p><strong>



<h2><br/> Wing: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers<br/> </h2>

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<p>In addition to lamenting that his <a href="http://nba-teams.pointafter.com/l/1/Los-Angeles-Lakers" target="_blank">Los Angeles Lakers</a> “suck” during his farewell tour, <a href="http://basketball-players.pointafter.com/l/88/Kobe-Bryant" target="_blank">Kobe Bryant</a> <a href="http://www.si.com/2016/02/11/kobe-bryant-los-angeles-lakers-suck-comment-farewell-tour" target="_blank">said</a> after Wednesday’s loss to the <a href="http://nba-teams.pointafter.com/l/6/Cleveland-Cavaliers" target="_blank">Cleveland Cavaliers</a>, “The best I can do is to go out and play even though physically I feel like crap.”</p>

<p>Despite feeling “like crap” physically, the 37-year-old still managed to jack up 69 shots in three Laker losses this week. He converted just 29 percent of them.</p>

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<p>After playing 33 minutes in each of those three losses, Bryant is set to suit up in the final All-Star game of his career. Don’t be surprised if the veteran keeps chucking in pursuit of All-Star Game MVP honors — even though his field goal percentage this season sits comfortably at a career low.</p>

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<h2><br/> Forward/Center: Omri Casspi, Sacramento Kings<br/> </h2>

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<p><a href="http://basketball-players.pointafter.com/l/66/Omri-Casspi" target="_blank">Omri Casspi</a>’s in the midst of a breakout season with the floundering <a href="http://nba-teams.pointafter.com/l/26/Sacramento-Kings" target="_blank">Sacramento Kings</a>. He was scorching hot through November and December, and solid in January, but the 27-year-old Israeli has lost his shooting touch in February.</p>

<p>Dating back to Feb. 5 (four games), the veteran small forward shot just 15-of-41 from the floor (36.6 percent).</p>

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<p>Though Casspi has cashed a career-best 42.2 percent of his three-pointers overall this season (No. 9 out of all qualified players), he couldn’t buy a bucket from beyond the arc this week. As the visualization above shows, the 6-foot-9 swingman made just 18.8 percent of his triples above the break.</p>

<p>All told, the former first-round pick went 4-of-18 shooting from distance — 22.2 percent, well below his season average.</p>

<p>Casspi has made a case for the league’s Most Improved Player award, but if his February cold streak extends beyond the All-Star break, he’ll have no shot against <a href="http://basketball-players.pointafter.com/l/208/Will-Barton" target="_blank">Will Barton</a> or <a href="http://basketball-players.pointafter.com/l/211/C-J-McCollum" target="_blank">C.J. McCollum</a>.</p>

<p><strong>MORE:</strong> <a href="http://basketball-players.pointafter.com/stories/10587/data-dimes-nba-players-max-contracts" target="_blank">NBA Players Who Could Fetch Max Contracts This Summer</a></p>