1. Byron Might Not Want Kobe To Finish This Season
This is obviously an assumptive statement, but head coach Byron Scott continues to make perplexing decisions regarding the workload of Kobe Bryant. That was an issue early in the season when Byron kept pushing the 20-year veteran to play close to 35 minutes per contest and that has seemingly already caught up with No. 24 considering that Bryant is currently dealing with an injured Achilles while just recently getting over a sore shoulder.
Even still, he decided to tough it out and play in his final game in ORACLE and, while his performance wasn’t particularly great as he shot 4-15 from the floor, it was a great gesture from an all-time great to his fans. However, one of the more puzzling things that happened on Thursday was Kobe checking back into the game in the fourth quarter of a game that was already out of reach for the Lakers.
The fans may have been chanting for Kobe, but that is a completely moronic decision for him to re-enter the game in that situation. He probably shouldn’t have played in the first place on Thursday night against Golden State. But with the fact that he did being inescapable, why rob him of rest that he needs so he can play meaningless minutes that risk further injury?
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If this season is going to be focused on the Kobe farewell tour—which it undeniably is at this point—than the focus should also be on Kobe being able to finish the season at full health. If Scott and the Lakers continue to make decisions like this regarding his minutes, though, Bryant being healthy come the season finale on April 13 against the Utah Jazz seemingly becomes less and less likely.