During yesterday’s practice, Mike D’Antoni was asked when he thought Bryant would return.
“I have no idea.”
And at this point, no one does. The return from an Achilles injury isn’t something that should be taken lightly, and it’s not something you’d want to try and rush back from. The pace at which Bryant was able to return to running and shooting has been unbelievable, but just because he’s reached that point faster than expectations, it doesn’t mean that he should rush back to return to the team.
Pau Gasol doesn’t know when Bryant will be back, either, but is hoping that he takes his time and returns when he’s ready.
“He has a big desire to come back, but he understands there has to be a few steps he needs to take in order to come back,” Lakers forward Pau Gasol said. “I don’t think he’s taken those steps. Let the rehab and progress develop on its own. He’ll come back when he’s going to come back, whether it’s a week, two weeks, one month, two months, who knows.”
For both Bryant and the Lakers organization, it’s essential that he comes back when he’s absolutely ready. If he’s going to play beyond this season, coming back in December or January and being fully healthy moving forward is much more important than coming back sometime in November just to potentially salvage this season.
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