Los Angeles Lakers News: Kobe Bryant Ready To Play Small Forward for Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is ready to adjust to give way to younger guys as reports revealed the veteran guard is open to playing small forward in the 2015-16 NBA season.
The Lakers selected promising guard D'Angelo Russell in the 2015 NBA Draft and are expecting a breakout year from incoming second-year guard Jordan Clarkson.
Both players are expected to play heavy minutes for the Lakers next season. Lakers trainer Gary Vitti revealed that Bryant asked him about Clarkson and Russell.
"He was asking about our young kids, and I said, 'You cannot believe how quick and athletic Jordan Clarkson is. He looks fantastic.' I said I personally thought D'Angelo Russell is going to be a star," Vitti told Los Angeles Times.
With Russell and Clarkson due for heavy minutes at both guard positions, Vitti said that Bryant expressed readiness to play small forward in the upcoming season.
"Then Kobe said to me, 'Well, then who's going to play small forward?' I looked at him and I said, 'You.' And with absolute, 100% confidence, he said, 'I can do that,'" Vitti added.
But aside from playing small forward, Lakers coach Byron Scott revealed Bryant could have minutes playing power forward next season in games where they can utilize the three-guard combination of Russell, Clarkson and Lou Williams, who signed with the Lakers as a free agent this summer.
Bryant will be way shorter than the natural power forwards in the league, but Scott is confident the 36-year-old superstar will be up to the challenge.
"There's some games. against some teams, where he'll probably play four," Scott said of Bryant via NBA.com. "With his tenaciousness, the way he guards people and when his mind is set, if I say 'Kobe, you've got him,' he takes that as a challenge. You know how he is. He'll compete."
As for playing small forward, Scott also believes Bryant will be effective and playing three could help the veteran save his legs for the entire season.
"If we can get him at the elbows and at the mid-post, the more effective he'll be," Scott said. "I don't think he needs to be using up the whole 94-foot floor. If we can cut that down some, I think that saves his legs as much as possible."
Bryant, who will be playing in his 20th season in the league, averaged 22.3 points on top of 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 35 games before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury.
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