Good on the Lakers themselves, then, for recognizing the value in keeping him on the floor whenever possible. For now.
Sitting him down is still an option if things get out of control, per the Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan:
Still, it's important to note Bryant's indefinite removal doesn't appear imminent. March is not January. The Lakers can cross that bridge when they get there. For now, they're making the right call, eschewing the temptation to prematurely pull the plug on a player who, whenever possible, still needs to play.
Too Drastic
It started with a question. After Bryant sat for the sixth time against the Portland Trail Blazers, head coach Byron Scott was asked if the Lakers had given thought to resting him for the remainder of 2014-15.
"I haven't thought about that yet," Scott said, per ESPN.com's Arash Markazi. "I keep thinking about game-to-game right now. So I haven't gotten to that point. Maybe after the All-Star break, maybe we will start talking about something like that if necessary."
The idea makes some sense. The Lakers are 12-27 and going nowhere fast. Bryant is 36 and, until recently, was logging 30-plus minutes per night on a regular basis. Extended rest would keep him fresh, preventing him from expending energy and willpower for a team that doesn't matter.
Almost as soon as Scott lent merit to the idea, though, he took it away.
"This is going to be game-by-game and will be that way until the end of the season," he said not two days later, via the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina. "If we ever decide to shut it down for the...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
