Lakers Training Camp Recap: Day 2

But will he retire with that team?

“I think the more those guys can play together, the better”, Scott said. “You just play the flow of the game and see what comes”, he said, smiling.

Known for freaky analogies and meandering monologues, World Peace’s media sessions with the Lakers from 2009-13 were usually good for a laugh.

“If it is, it is”, LA Lakers’ superstar Kobe Bryant indicated, when he was asked if this is his last season playing in the National Basketball Association. Like me, don’t like me, [but people] respect the career that I’ve had. However, I’m going to offer scenarios for both options.

But being the competitor that he is, Kobe will want to play as much as possible. Now factor in what we know about the Lakers and they’re at best two years or so from possibly competing for a playoff spot, if not further away.

This is new. Bryant has always been a ball-dominant player.

Bryant and the Lakers held a three-hour workout at the Stan Sheriff Center – the site of a pair of exhibition games against the Utah Jazz Sunday and next Tuesday – on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

You go from there and wonder: is Bryant at a place in his career where he wants to be a mentor and care more about helping this organization grow than chasing championship number six? I’m not buying that version of Kobe for a second. “We feel he will be a valuable addition to the coaching staff and will do an excellent job teaching our group of big men”. Bryant was told to skip it. After missing 123 games over the last two seasons, that’s 75 percent of games over that span for those keeping score at home, we all know that Bryant wants to go out on a high note. Kobe’s injury risk is glaring and he’ll have a hard minute-limit this season, reducing him to a flier pick in standard leagues. September.

That could have as much to do with the fact that Tuesday marked Bryant’s first five-on-five game since he underwent surgery for a torn rotator cuff as it does with his position on the floor.

This is also a situation where logic simply can not be applied, as your realistic expectations (unless you’re a blind faith Lakers/Kobe fan) and Bryant’s expectations are impossible to align. Scott blamed himself when Bryant started fading last winter, even more so when Bryant’s shoulder was done after a seemingly innocuous dunk.

The Lakers scrimmaged for about 25 minutes Tuesday, the last 10 of which were open to the media. “D’Angelo and Jordan, these guys can handle the ball and make incredible decisions and make plays, it makes it a lot easier on me”.