The Los Angeles Lakers are hopeful they have done enough to overcome the struggles of the last few years. The team made several roster adjustments in the offseason including the signing of free agents and the drafting of point guard D'Angelo Russell. However, the biggest get for the Lakers could be the return of a healthy Kobe Bryant who has been medically cleared to play again.
According to ESPN's Baxter Holmes, Bryant has been cleared for practice following a season-ending injury to his rotator cuff in his right shoulder. The 37-year-old was injured back in January while making a dunk and it ended his season before it ever truly began. This was Bryant's third season-ending injury following knee and Achilles issues. There was certainly plenty of doubt that Bryant would be back on the court this quickly considering his age. Now there are questions about how big his impact will be.
Head coach Byron Scott told the Orange County Register that he plans to severely limit Bryant's minutes to start the season. He wants to talk with the veteran about what he envisions and the two will aim to come to a happy medium about just how much he will play to start the year. Bryant played just 35 games last season so the idea that the veteran is rusty is certainly not out of the question.
"I know Kobe's a competitor and he's going to play as many minutes as you want him to play," Scott said, via the Register. "I'm also a competitor, so I want to win and I know having him on the court gives me the best opportunity to win."
Bryant's return is a big get for the Lakers as they aim to bounce back. It is uncertain whether or not Bryant will start, but his presence will be huge for the Lakers. The team is also getting back Julius Randle who suffered a season-ending injury at the start of his rookie year. Randle will be battling for a starting spot over Brandon Bass as rookie Russell will be competing with Jordan Clarkson for time on the court. Part-owner Jim Buss expressed his excitement over the youth of the Lakers. He noted that Russell had the most upside and ability to start immediately while he is anxious to see how Randle returns.
"I can't wait for the season, one of the reasons I can't wait, first of all, I love basketball, second is to watch this kid develop," Buss said, via the Los Angeles Times. "It was a long, long process that we decided to go with Russell. He's just very impressive. We saw an upside of being a potential superstar in the league. Okafor is going to be a fantastic player also. Porzingis [will be] a great player."
