Kobe Bryant‘s possible minutes restriction has been a talking point for Lakers faithful all summer and into the preseason. Fortunately, it sounds like Byron Scott and Bryant have agreed upon a limit.
Byron Scott said he's discussed minute restrictions w/ Kobe. They've come to a number "between 30 & 40 minutes." Scott wouldn't say exact #
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) October 15, 2014
Interesting thing about Byron/Kobe minutes convo: Scott said the amount of minutes Kobe proposed was actually less than what Byron proposed
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) October 15, 2014
If the number is in fact between 30-40 minutes, fans should certainly hope it’s toward the lower. Personally, anything over 30 minutes is too many for my taste. However, aside from last season, Bryant has never averaged less than 33.9 minutes a game since his second year in the league.
There is likely a set number between 30-40 minutes, as I can’t imagine the restriction would fall ANYWHERE between that 10-minute gap.
If Bryant is really only playing two more seasons, which seems like a wishy-washy decision he can’t decide upon, you’d hope that Bryant conserved his energy over the final two seasons. Despite how well he’s played for most of the preseason, keeping him rested and efficient is the biggest key, especially for a Lakers team that is going to struggle mightily to compete this season. You certainly don’t want Bryant injuring himself in what will likely add up to be a lost season.
What do you think the minutes restriction for Bryant should be? Is 30-40 minutes too much? Should he be under 30 minutes? Let us know in the comments below!