Following last night’s loss to Portland, the Lakers aren’t in action again until Friday night, and by the time the team returns to the court, Kobe Bryant could be in the lineup. However, even if he makes his comeback on Friday, Kobe may see limited minutes, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times observes.
“That would come from inside [the medical department] and him and whatever they tell me,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “If that’s a restriction, then they’ll tell me.”
Here’s more out of Los Angeles, where both teams are dealing with injury woes:
- The Clippers’ wing depth was considered perhaps the team’s greatest strength heading into the season, but the team will likely be without Matt Barnes for another two weeks and J.J. Redick for up to eight weeks, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). With Jamal Crawford, Jared Dudley, Reggie Bullock, and Willie Green still in the mix, the Clips shouldn’t need to add any reinforcements. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on, since the club has an open roster spot.
- Speaking of injured Clippers, Maalik Wayns remains on the team’s roster, which means his 2013/14 salary has become fully guaranteed. As I noted on Friday, the injured Wayns would be assured of his full $788,872 salary if the Clips didn’t waive him on or before December 1st.
- Meanwhile, Bryant and Steve Nash are on the comeback trail for the Lakers, but Pau Gasol is slated to undergo an MRI on his sprained right ankle, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA. As McMenamin writes in a separate story, while help is on the way for the Lakers, Gasol’s health, Jordan Farmar‘s hamstring strain, and the possibility of Chris Kaman rocking the boat loom as potential concerns.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com wonders if either Jodie Meeks or Nick Young could find himself out of the rotation and/or on the trade block when Kobe returns.