With O'Neal gone from the Lakers, Kobe had become the absolute core of the offense.
Before the season started, Jackson had mentioned in a press interview that he would ask Kobe to take on greater responsibility in the new season, on both offense and defense.
The subtext was that Kobe would be given a limitless green light to shoot, and everyone else would have to play in support of him.
The Lakers intended to develop Yao Ming as a key player, but on this Lakers team, Kobe was the one and only king.
After the offseason, Kobe seemed to have gotten a bit stronger. His offensive consistency had also improved.
Most importantly, Kobe no longer had to worry about whether to accommodate O'Neal, watch O'Neal's position, or decide if he should pass the ball to O'Neal. He only had to think about one thing now: scoring.
Kobe could get the ball anywhere on the court. He could also pass it off, curl around the baseline, and get it right back.
