Struggling Bryant won´t be benched, insists Lakers coach Scott
Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott has no plans to bench veteran Kobe Bryant, no matter how bad his performances get.
Bryant is in the midst of a career-worst slump, shooting 31.1 per cent from the field and 19.5 per cent from three-point range in his 20th and perhaps final season in the NBA.
However, the 17-time All-Star will never be benched.
“I would never, never, never do that,” Scott told ESPN on Friday. “That’s not an option whatsoever. No, that’s not an option.”
Instead, 37-year-old Bryant is averaging more field goal attempts per game (16.4) than points (15.2) and still the Lakers would love to get Bryant more looks and put him in positions to succeed.
“I don’t know if it’s his legs. I don’t think so. Again, our conversations are pretty blunt,” Scott told the Los Angeles Times.
“He tells me when he is tired and he tells me when he’s not tired.”
Scott added that he does not think Bryant’s minutes played are taking a toll on his output and he is not considering reducing the veteran’s time on the court, which stands at just over 30 minutes per game.
