Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott hinted that Kobe Bryant might not get the amount of playing time he is used to in the upcoming 2015-16 NBA season.
Scott said in an interview with the Orange County Register that Bryant will be ready for training camp despite missing majority of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Bryant, who will be playing in his 20th season in the league and could also be the last of his illustrious career, has been slowed down by injuries over the past several seasons, which is the main reason why Scott is considering limiting his minutes to keep him fresh for the entire season.
"The best thing for me is to make sure I take his best interests is the best interest I got to take it at," Scott said. "I've got that in the palm of my hands pretty much. We've got to stick to the guns, if we agree on a certain amount of time we're going to stick to it."
Before the 2012 NBA Playoffs, Bryant sustained a torn Achilles tendon. When he returned the following season, the 17-time All-Star suffered a knee injury just in his sixth game back from the Achilles surgery. He made his return again last season, but the shoulder injury cut his season short anew.
Scott was blamed by some fans for putting too much load on Bryant's shoulders. When asked if he has any regrets about the amount of playing time he gave Bryant last season, Scott said that he also felt bad about it.
"I felt bad about it. I don't know if I would say guilty," Scott said. "I know Kobe's a competitor and he's going to play as many minutes as you want him to play. 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. But I also know that I've got to think about him more than anything."
Bryant played 34.5 minutes in 35 games last season. He averaged 22.3 points on top of 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists for the Lakers, who eventually failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season and also had the worst record in franchise history at 21-61.
The Lakers made several moves this season in the hope of ending their playoff drought. They selected D'Angelo Russell as the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft to pair him up with sophomores Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle. They also acquired veterans Brandon Bass and Louis Williams.
