Kobe Bryant is officially back, although his return wasn't exactly what most had been expecting.
Considering, however, that the Black Mamba is coming of a sensitive injury (torn rotator cuff) after nine months, head coach Byron Scott saw it a good sign despite the fact the Lakers lost 90–71 to the Utah Jazz.
"He was pretty good," Scott said via ESPN. "He moved well."
Bryant showed some rust in his return and his first shot wasn't exactly something people would be ecstatic about. Bryant took a contested three pointer from the left corner which ended up hitting the side of the backboard.
Bryant played only a total of 12 minutes and ended up scoring only five points. His lone field goal was a three pointer, a contested shot this time from the right corner.
According to head coach Byron Scott, playing him 12 minutes was already planned even before the preseason game. In all, it was all about getting Kobe into the swing of things and take it from there.
For Kobe, he says that he just needs to get his timing back but in all he felt pretty good.
"It's just getting the timing," said Bryant, whose past three seasons have all been cut short by injury. "Getting timing. Getting acclimated to that again."
"I felt good. It felt good to get out there," Bryant said. "(My legs) feel strong, I didn't feel tired at all. It's just about getting the timing down."
With Kobe back, a lot falls on his shoulders. With a team composed of new faces and rising young stars, Scott expects Bryant to be the one to lead the team hopefully back into a respectable situation.
The Lakers have faltered in the last two seasons but players like Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and D'Angelo Russell are seen as the future stars of the franchise. Together with new recruits Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams, and Brandon Bass, it remains to be seen if the Lakers have done enough to get back on track.
All that starts at the end of the month when the Los Angeles Lakers open shop against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 28.
