Kobe returns to Lakers’ lineup after latest rest Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers’ star player, returned to their main lineup on Tuesday night after missing three of their latest four games. The L.A. Lakers superstar has been kept on the sidelines by Coach Byron Scott in order to minimize his exposure to potential injuries and have him play only in the games where he is most needed.?
Bryant’s age and history of injury-related surgeries might be catching up to him, and the Lakers’ coach doesn’t want to compromise their main asset. The Lakers have a history of switching Bryant in when games are not going in their favor, even when it can potentially threaten his health or even his career. In the previous season, former Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni made the questionable call of fielding Kobe in a desperate effort to make a postseason push, a decision that contributed to an Achilles tendon rupture that had severe ramifications for the team, both in that season and the following one. More recently, Scott had Bryant play 36 minutes while struggling with an illness in an attempt to turn a lopsided game against the San Antonio Spurs in their favor.
In Tuesday’s game against Miami Heat, Kobe was once again much of the Lakers’ offense, taking 42 percent of the team’s total shots. However, despite his greatest efforts, the team was unable to pull off a victory. Coach Scott has gone on record urging his team not to rely as much on Bryant, asking them to attempt shots themselves instead of just looking to pass the ball to Kobe. This might be easier said than done, as Kobe is pretty much the only offensive player on the Lakers’ roster that forces opposing teams to work around him.
It’s no secret that the team’s tactic is to rely on Kobe in any games he is not sitting out, as the team management hasn’t made an effort to surround him with particularly notable talent. There’s also the fact that he was offered a huge sum of money for his contract extension, one that wasn’t even negotiated, a move some believed eliminated the Lakers’ option to reinforce their roster with some of the more sought-after free agents. While Kobe has never shied away from his responsibilities and has been known to urge coaches to give him even more field time, there’s no denying all this puts a lot of weight on his shoulders.
Kobe is the biggest draw the Lakers have, and they’re aware of it. He has recently been promoted to the NBA’s third-leading scorer of all time, and is a five-time champion in his own right. Thousands of fans buy tickets just to see him perform, but coach Scott insists this cannot play a part when deciding how much play time he will get. This is his 19th NBA season, and many agree he doesn’t have many more years left in his career. Scott also doesn’t let Bryant play any overtime in an effort to preserve him, and there have even been talks of shutting him down for the remainder of the season, a decision that Byron Scott claimed wasn’t discussed so far. Given the quality and performance of the rest of the team’s roster, it’s highly unlikely the Lakers would opt to bench Kobe for an
entire season. For full coverage on Kobe Bryant and the NBA go to betonsports.com
