The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Kobe Bryant on Monday night against the Suns, as the star will be out with back and knee injuries. Metta World Peace will likely start for Byron Scott and this comes as D'Angelo Russell has been trying to work through his struggles this season.
Bryant has played in eight games this season and is averaging 16 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 33 percent from the floor. According to Mike Bresnahan at the Los Angeles Times, Bryant is not travelling to Phoenix with the team and that he is dealing with pain in his back and his knees. Bryant missed two games against the Magic and the Heat before coming back against the Mavericks and the Pistons, but now he will be out again.
Bryant played 36 minutes on Sunday in the game against the Pistons, scoring 17 points, while adding eight boards and nine assists. Bryant may have his minutes managed a bit more moving forward if he continues to deal with injuries, but head coach Byron Scott said the star would not be under a hard cap. The Lakers won their second game of the season against the Pistons after losing four straight games and moving forward the team has the Suns, Raptors, Trail Blazers and Warriors next on the schedule.
D'Angelo Russell has been struggling at times for the Lakers this season and the young point guard has been getting benched late in some games by Scott. Russell sat down for some of the fourth quarter against the Pistons and Scott said that Russell needs to work on his defense moving forward. Russell had nine points, five rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes played in the game and at just 19-years-old, it's not a surprise that the rookie needs to continue developing.
The Lakers feel that Russell still has major upside and while he has been getting benched at times, the team still wants to give him the chance to play. Russell is averaging 9.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this season in 10 games played. The Orange County Register reported last week that Russell was getting help from Bryant with film study and that is something to keep an eye on moving forward.
