Armed with the knowledge that his aging superstar was limited to just six games last season, new Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott has opted to sit Kobe Bryant for the final two games of the preseason.
Scott chose to have Bryant ride the bench Wednesday during the Lakers' 94-86 triumph over the Portland Trailblazers and confirmed the five-time NBA champion will do the same on Friday when the team visits the Sacramento Kings in the finale of its exhibition slate.
"I just think he needs some rest," Scott told ESPN Los Angeles prior to Wednesday's game. "I think he's shown me enough. I think we're all pretty happy with where he is."
Bryant, 36, is entering his 19th NBA season after signing a two-year $48.5 million extension with Los Angeles last November.
Bryant was limited to just six games last campaign due to injuries to his Achilles and knee. Scott said it's a good time to bench him because he was impressed with is conditioning.
"I think each game I wanted to see if he just got stronger," Scott said. "That's why the last couple games I've been playing him more in the second half -- later in the second quarters and later in the fourth quarters, just seeing how his body would react. From what I saw the last couple games, he's getting that lift. He just looked strong down the stretch, and I thought that was important."
He added: "Like I said, endurance-wise I think he's there. He's in great physical condition. So these last two games, it was more of let's rest it and let's be happy with that, and then we'll move forward and get ready with the four days of work we have to do to get ready for Houston."
Scott said Bryant was fine with sitting out the last two exhibition games as the team awaits an Opening Night game against the Houston Rockets Tuesday at the Staples Center.
"He was OK with it," Scott said. "I think if it was the regular season, it might have been a little different, but he was OK with it. He understands what the goal is. Obviously the goal was to get off to a good start as far as he's concerned, build up his minutes and endurance and everything, and go from there."
Come Tuesday, Los Angeles will look to bounce back from a franchise-worst 27-55 finish to the 2013-14 slate that saw it miss the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
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