How Kobe Bryant looks this season is the biggest question heading into the 2014-15 season for the Los Angeles Lakers. If he can come close to the level he displayed in the 2013 season, the Lakers could definitely surprise some teams.
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Bryant has been working out feverishly this summer to prepare for the season, even working out with some of his teammates such as Nick Young and Wesley Johnson. Today, he played some 5-on-5 and according to our own Serena Winters, looked good:
KOBE Update: Bryant played in a number of 5-on-5 pickup games today, against some of his teammates. Source says Kobe looked “very good.”
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) September 22, 2014
How someone looks in a workout compared to how they will look in a regular season game is completely different, but it is good to see Kobe playing with no issues. This is also excellent for his teammates.
Very few players on this Lakers team have had the opportunity to play with Bryant so by getting in some time with him on the court, they are able to develop chemistry, as well as figure out how to best work with him so they can all flourish.
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The participants in the game are unknown, but whoever played surely benefitted from it. Players like Johnson, Young, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and Ed Davis could all learn just from being on the floor with Kobe, whether on his team or playing against him.
The Lakers still have to workout the specifics of their starting lineup and rotation as a whole, but playing with Kobe in the off-season will definitely help them once the season begins. And Kobe still hanging with the young players give some optimism to Lakers fans everywhere.
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