Los Angeles Lakers Superstar Kobe Bryant Won’t Get Reduced Role, Says Byron Scott
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is struggling to get his old rhythm back this season, but coach Byron Scott said that he will continue to give the veteran his usual role and playing time.
Bryant, who is playing in his 20th season in the league, is averaging just 15.2 points on top of 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game this season. The All-Star guard is shooting just 31.1 percent from the field, including a measly 19.5 percent clip from the three-point region.
But despite Bryant's rocky start this season, Scott insisted that his role will remain and will continue to have the amount of playing time he is getting. The second-year Lakers coach believes that the big amount of playing time is not the reason why Bryant is struggling this season.
"I haven't thought about reducing his role," Scott said of Bryant via ESPN. "I think his role is pretty defined for us right now. So is his minutes."
Scott also added that he is not planning to have a one-on-one talk with Bryant to discuss his struggles. He pointed out that Bryant is matured enough to find his rhythm on his own, and also expressed belief that the 17-time All-Star will eventually find his touch this season.
"I'm letting him try to find it for himself," Scott added. "He's been doing this for a long time. I'm not so much worried about Kobe. I am concerned about his shooting percentage and shots so far, but so far as knowing him the way I've known him and how long he's played in this league, I'm not worried about him finding it."
Bryant had his worst shooting night on Tuesday, when he finished with just four points on 1-for-14 shooting from the field during their 111-77 blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors. He is also struggling with his three-pointers, as he only converted two of his 21 attempts from beyond the arc in their last five games.
But after their humiliating loss to the Warriors, Bryant, who only played in 35 games last season after suffering from a season-ending shoulder injury, also insisted that he is not too concerned about his shooting woes early in the season.
"I'm not really worried about it, honestly," Bryant said. "My shooting will be better. I could've scored 80. It wouldn't have made a damn difference. We just have bigger problems. I could be out there averaging 35 points a game. We'd be what, 3-11? We've got to figure out how to play systematically in a position that's going to keep us in ball games."
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