Kobe returns Wednesday; Scott says he's still 10-15 games from being 'right'

Kobe Bryant will return from a brief absence from the Los Angeles Lakers' lineup when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

Bryant, who had originally been listed as questionable for Wednesday's game, has missed the last two games to rest and missed Tuesday's practice. He's also missed eight of the Lakers' last 15 games.

Head coach Byron Scott said last week that Bryant is on a 32-minute limit and that he would abide by that limit, even if it meant sitting him in an overtime period. Scott also said Bryant is still a long way from fully recovering from the excessive burden he was carrying at the beginning of the season.  

"I’m still playing catch up with all the minutes I put on him early," Scott said Wednesday, according to Bill Oram of the Orange County Register. "I’m still playing catch up to try to get that up to where I feel, 'OK, now we’re about right.' We still got about 10-15 games before I think we can get there."

Bryant has shown great resolve in working his way back from major Achilles and knee injuries over the last two years, and his base numbers for a 36-year-old, 19-year veteran are spectacular, but his shooting and overall quality of play are definitely showing signs of age. 

Scott knows that resting Bryant is the right approach long-term, but acknowledged that it makes it tougher for the vet to stay in rhythm from game to game. 

"The good is that his body is being preserved," Scott said, "he’s being able to go out there and play, but the bad part is he’s going to be a little rusty at times."

Bryant is averaging 22.6 points, 5.7 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals, but is shooting a career-worst 37 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from 3-point territory. In addition, the Lakers perform 13 points better per 100 possessions with Bryant on the bench, according to Basketball Reference.