The Lakers will likely be shorthanded in their visit to face the defending champions, as Kobe Bryant is considered questionable, while Brandon Bass is listed as doubtful for Thursday’s matchup at Golden State.
Bryant exited Tuesday’s game against New Orleans due to a sore right Achilles tendon, which caused him to miss the previous contest as well.
“I’m still very cautious about it,” head coach Byron Scott said at Wednesday’s practice. “Last night when he was playing and we talked on the sideline he was saying how it was really bothering him. And I could tell. That’s why I asked him, ‘Are you alright?’ He said, ‘Yes, it’s bothering me.’”
Much of the argument for playing Bryant in Oakland is that it will be his final game in that city.
“He feels a certain responsibility to play in these arenas, which is admirable of him,” Scott said. “But my responsibility is to make sure he can play this (whole) season. I have to look past tomorrow and Saturday’s game.”
Scott said that Bryant told him he is feeling “much better,” but will likely see a decrease in playing time if he does suit up Thursday.
In fact, erring on the side of caution, head athletic trainer Gary Vitti advised Scott on Tuesday that it may be beneficial to rest Bryant for a week or two in order to heal.
“(Vitti) would love to shut (Bryant) down,” Scott said. “But that probably won’t happen. (Bryant) doesn’t want to just shut it down.”
Scott said that he, Vitti, Bryant and general manager Mitch Kupchak will likely meet in the near future to decide the best course of action to ensure Bryant is healthy enough to play out his final season.
Currently, Bryant is hampered by both his Achilles and a sore right shoulder, which caused him to miss three games earlier this month.
“I think both of them are acting up a little bit,” Scott said. “It’s really just trying to calm them both down as much as possible, and it’s hard to do that when he’s playing.”
Scott described Bass as “a little gimpy,” though he did participate at practice.