New head coach Byron Scott continues to do the rounds with the media as he prepares for the 2014-15 NBA season. Most of the questions Scott gets asked in these sessions with the media surround Kobe Bryant and what he believes the superstar can provide next season.
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On Wednesday, Scott sat down with the OC Register and said the following about Kobe, via Bill Oram:
Byron: "I think Kobe even on bad days can average 20 points a game in this league."
— Bill Oram (@bill_oram) September 10, 2014
At 36, no one knows what to expect from the five-time NBA champion. It comes as no surprise that Kobe is as confident as ever he’ll return to form as an elite player, but he has admitted that his game will need to evolve in order to be effective moving forward.
Kobe is coming off consecutive season-ending injuries that have almost certainly taken a toll on his body. Regardless of the injuries, the Lakers star could be as fresh as we’ve seen him in a long time with only six games played since tearing his Achilles tendon back in April of 2013.
Along with only playing six games after suffering the worst injury of his career, Kobe will be playing alongside a few new faces and will no longer have Pau Gasol in the paint. Kobe will be joined by newcomers Jeremy Lin, Carlos Boozer, Ed Davis, Julius Randle, and Jordan Clarkson.
Only time will tell if the new-look Lakers will be a force in the Western Conference or are destined to struggle through another disappointing season in Los Angeles.
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