The Los Angeles Lakers have Kobe Bryant dealing with an injury and while the star may miss the rest of the preseason, Bryant is expected to be ready for the season opener. The Lakers have roster moves they need to make soon, as the team has to trim down to 15 players and names like Metta World Peace, Marcelo Huertas and Michael Frazier are trying to make the team for Byron Scott.
Bryant is dealing with a leg injury suffered against the Kings and according to ESPN.com, Baxter Holmes reports that Bryant could be out for the rest of the preseason. Bryant has a leg contusion and while one report had Bryant looking to try and play on Monday night, Mark Medina reports that Bryant will be out of the lineup for that game against the Blazers. Bryant has dealt with injuries over the past couple years and the Lakers are going to be cautious about rushing him back, even from a minor injury.
Last season Bryant played in 35 games and averaged 22 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists and this season head coach Byron Scott said there would be no "hard cap" on Bryant's minutes. The team likely will limit Bryant a little bit, including possibly sitting for back to back games, but Scott said that he is confident Bryant can handle his usual workload when healthy. Scott said he wants to get Bryant "as close to 100 percent as possible," according to NBA.com and that could keep Bryant out for the rest of the preseason.
The Lakers have D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle as the young stars of the team and this year both players should see significant playing time. Russell is going to get the chance to start, while Randle is coming back from a knee injury and likely will come off the bench for a while and could have a minutes limit. The Lakers have reportedly picked up the team option on Randle for next year, as ESPN Los Angeles reports that the team has officially made the move. Randle has been solid this preseason while averaging over 10 pints with six rebounds per game.
According to NBA.com, Scott said that roster cuts are coming, but the team likely will not make them until the middle of the week. The Lakers have 19 players right now and they need to get down to 15 ahead of the start of the regular season. According to the Los Angeles Times, the team likely will keep Ryan Kelly, Larry Nance Jr., Anthony Brown and Tarik Black, while players like Jonathan Holmes, Michael Frazier and Robert Upshaw may not make the team out of the preseason.
Marcelo Huertas and Metta World Peace are interesting options for the Lakers, as Huertas can provide some depth at point guard, while Peace has been acting as a mentor to Julius Randle. Peace is on a $1.5 million contract and has a good chance to make it, while Huertas was able to come back from a hamstring injury to play against the Warriors on Saturday. If he plays well over the next week, he could be a fit behind Russell and Jordan Clarkson this season.
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