Why Does It Matter?

For those of you who have doubted my staying power, I arise well before sunrise each week day to workout (spin bike, stretches, medicine ball work and push-ups). While exercising, I watch ESPN's "Sports Center" (I believe it's a tape of the latest show from the night before). Anyway, this morning one of the lead stories was that Kobe Bryant scored 60 in a game last night and that it was the third straight game in which he'd scored over 50 points and that very few players (perhaps none who weren't named Wilt Chamberlain) put together four consecutive games having scored 50 or more points.

Fine, but where are the Lakers in the standings?

Fine, but is their offense really anything more than clearouts for Kobe when he does this?

Fine, but do others set picks for Kobe's man to set up Kobe for open looks after getting good passes from players named Luke and Smush?

Fine, but do other Lakers do anything more than stand around on offense?

Last night four Sweet 16 games were played and Tubby Smith announced he was leaving Kentucky for the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Isn't the first subset worthy of much more attention than Kobe's points?

Sports Center's attention to Kobe compels a question for all to ask the NBA: what's the point?

Points?

Or teams like Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio and Detroit?

Or making Sports Center's Top 10 "Plays of the Day" list?