Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott is looking to form a plan to limit star shooting guard Kobe Bryant's workload in the five-time NBA champion's 19th season in the league.
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Bryant has complained of fatigue this season and has made a lot of alterations to his routine to ward off injuries and overexertion, but the 16-time All-Star is still carrying the load and trying to do too much.This has led to Scott trying to slow him down by possibly giving him games off.
"You know him," Scott told ESPN Los Angeles on Monday. "It's real difficult. He's such a competitor. He wants to go out there and play every minute that he can. The mind is willing, but sometimes the body is not."
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Bryant sat out practice on Monday after scoring 25 points on 30 shots in the team's 108-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings that saw the Lakers star commit nine turnovers compared to just eight field goals.
Scott said that he would like to start holding Bryant out of games to get him some more rest, but the first-year L.A. coach wasn't sure if that would happen this week.
"We'll formulate a plan that suits him so when he is on the court, he can go out and play at full strength instead of trying to will his way through these games," Scott said. "He's such a competitor that he tries to will his way through it no matter how his body feels. I want him to get to the point where his body feels a lot better than it does right now."
Bryant, 36, said at this point he would be on board if he were asked to sit out here and there to try and stay fresh.
"There's probably not much of an option," Bryant said. "...It might make sense."
Scott said he wouldn't sacrifice Bryant's well-being for wins as he's watched the Lakers forward average a team-high 35.4 minutes and attempt an NBA-high 22.4 shots per game while missing shots at a shocking rate.
While Bryant may miss time here and there, Scott said he realizes it could be difficult to keep him out of games at the Staples Center where fans pay to see him play.
"At home, it impacts my decision because he knows how he wants to play in front of the fans," Scott said. "I know how much the fans would love to see him. That's definitely something we have to take into consideration. On the road, it's a totally different story."
Part of the reason Bryant is pushing himself so hard is because he doesn't believe his teammates around him are getting the job done. It was reported earlier this month that Bryant was talking trash and bashing his teammates at practice.
The Lakers (8-19) sit in last place in the Pacific Division and host the Golden State Warriors (23-3) Tuesday night at the Staples Center.
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