“Lakers host their annual Media Day in El Segundo, CA. Monday September 29, 2014. (Thomas R. Cordova-Daily Breeze/Press-Telegram)”
A smirk formed on Kobe Bryant’s face. Then, the Lakers star chuckled.
A panel of ESPN media members ranked Bryant as the 40th-best NBA player. If Bryant found his 25th ranking last year “silly” and “laughable,” which adjectives will the Lakers star use to express his disgust about his latest standing?
“I’ve known for a long time they’re a bunch of idiots,” Bryant said.
A smile widened on Byron Scott’s face. Then, the Lakers’ coach shook his head trying to process it all.
What does Scott make of Bryant’s ranking after professing his rookie year that he would soon become the NBA’s best player?
“I think he probably gets a kick out of it. I do too,” Scott said. “I would hate to be one of the guys who doubted him.”
Bryant’s latest ranking likely stems from playing only six games last season because of recurring injuries to his left Achilles tendon and left knee. But Bryant scoffed that he would use this slight as fuel to accelerate his motor.
“I tend to use things as motivation,” Bryant said, “that tend to be in the realm of reality.”
The Lakers and Bryant have each maintained he can both stay healthy and effective by playing a more deliberate game that focuses on footwork and post play.
In the Lakers’ 119-86 preseason loss on Thursday to Utah at Honda Center, Bryant showed some of those glimpses by posting 27 points on 10-of-23 shooting in 28 minutes in what he considered his best performance thus far in training camp. During those stretches, Bryant posted a series of turnaround jumpers and even made a nifty cross over move in the fourth quarter.
“I feel pretty good,” Bryant said. “I don’t feel particularly sore or anything like that. I feel good.”
Scott initially held Bryant in the first three preseason games in the low 20-minute range spread through the first and third quarters. But the Lakers’ star both increased his minutes and played at certain points in all four quarters. Both Scott and Bryant recently agreed on his regular-season playing time, which will fall somewhere between 30-40 minutes. Bryant also revealed his playing time will likely increase in the Lakers’ four remaining exhibition games.
“I knew he was a little tired, but I thought it was good,” Scott said. “But we need more than Kobe. Simple as that. We need other guys to join the fight as well.”
Yet, that become a hard proposition.
The Lakers conceded 48 points in the paint that Scott mostly blamed on his frontcourt players for not communicating effectively enough to his guards. Scott sat rookie forward Julius Randle in the second half in hopes he could accelerate his learning curve by watching from the sidelines. The Lakers’ failure to make a three-point shot partly stems from injuries to Steve Nash (back spasms), Jeremy Lin (sprained left ankle), Nick Young (surgically repaired right thumb) and Ryan Kelly (strained left hamstring), all players who can both make outside shots and space the floor.
Hence, why so much skepticism persists on both the Lakers and Bryant this season. Yet, Bryant vows he will prove otherwise regardless of what his ranking entailed.
“All jokes aside, it doesn’t bother me too much,” Bryant said. “I’m going to do what I do regardless. “If I wind up proving people wrong in the process, that’ll just wind up being collateral damage.”
Scott senses that process has already started.
“I see him every day in practice and how hard he works and how far he has come from this particular injury,” Scott said. “I know he’s going to get stronger. He’ll have the last laugh.”
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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com