Kobe Bryant missed all but six games last season, Steve Nash only appeared in 15 contests, and Nick Young will need to stay healthy, as his role figures to increase in the coming season. Recent reports have provided some insight as to how each of these players is looking as the preseason rolls along.
Here's a glance at the status of all three players for the foreseeable future.
Kobe Bryant
Bryant is entering his 19th year with the Lakers after missing almost the entire 2013-14 season. While he's healthy and practicing, there are still questions about exactly how much the 36-year-old guard will be able to contribute in the regular season.
A tweet from Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times relayed comments from trainer Gary Vitti and Bryant, which help shed a little light on the subject:
Judging by those comments, we're looking at somewhere between 32 and 36 minutes per game. That's not too shabby. In the Lakers' championship-winning season of 2009-10, Bryant played an average of 36.1 minutes per game and was highly efficient.
The most integral part of this Los Angeles team, Bryant shouldn't bite off more than he can chew and play more than the recommended minutes. Keeping him healthy for an entire season far outweighs getting an extra two minutes of production from the team's star.
Nick Young
Young's first season with the Lakers went quite well. He appeared in 64 games, starting nine, and played an average of 28.3 minutes per contest as one of the team's most dependable role players. He a...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
