The Los Angeles Lakers are closer to the bottom of the Western Conference standings than the top eight, but injured star Kobe Bryant believes that their roster moves this summer will bring them back to elite form. Unfortunately he's less certain about his abilities to return to the court this season.
The Lakers, sitting at 18-35 and in 14th place out of 15 teams in the Western Conference, have just 29 games left and Bryant is positive the team will make the right adjustments this offseason to make the team better.
Bryant was vague about a return to the court for the team's final 29 games as the five-time NBA champion is trying to return from a broken bone in his left knee, but called it "a slow process."
"Just try to get better and then go from there," Bryant told ESPN when asked about his recovery. "I just try to focus, keep my blinders on and just do what I have to do and not worry too much about what's going on around you, but just stay focused on what my responsibilities are."
Bryant made these comments just before the All-Star game tipped off Sunday night in New Orleans where the East topped the West 163-155.
Bryant was voted as a starter of the game despite the fact that he played in just six games after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon only to then break his knee. Bryant was adamant that fans shouldn't vote him in, but he was selected anyway. He was replaced by James Harden.
While the Lakers look as though they'll miss the playoffs for the first time since 2005, Bryant is excited about the future of the team as it looks to improve either before the trade deadline on Thursday or during the offseason this summer.
"I have all the confidence in the world that [management] can get the job done," Bryant said via ESPN. "I'm not concerned about it at all. They have the flexibility to do it and they have the room to be able to do it, and I'm sure they will make the right decisions from top to bottom."
According to ESPN, the Lakers currently have $35 million in salary plus the guaranteed contract of their first-round draft pick, and the projected salary cap for the 2014-15 season is $62 million.
"What we have coming up this offseason with the cap space and what we have ahead of ourselves seems to be right in the Lakers' wheelhouse in terms of turning things around pretty quickly," Bryant said per ESPN. "When we've had summers like this, they have never really faltered. The have normally made really sound and excellent decisions that put us right back in contention. So I think this offseason is right in their wheelhouse."
Bryant admitted there is some uncertainty with his ability to comeback from such a tough injury.
"That's part of the excitement of the challenge, that level of uncertainty," Bryant said, according to ESPN. "'Is this it?' sort of thing, 'Are my best days behind me' sort of thing. And to have those conversations with yourself and not be intimidated by that and ... not succumbing to that is part of the challenge. It's really the biggest challenge is saying, 'Well, maybe this is the end. But then again, maybe it's not.'
With the Lakes struggling this season and Bryant uncertain of his recovery, it's possible that Bryant will remain sidelined for the rest of the season in order to make a full recovery in 2014-15--a season he expects to be much brighter for his team.
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