Los Angeles Lakers point guard Kobe Bryant is already playing at a high level in training camp, showing no ill-effects of the knee and ACL injury that sidelined him most of last season.
According to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, Bryant will enter the season as the team's best player after coming off surgeries to repair injuries in his knee and a ruptured ACL.
"Kobe, I've watched throughout the summer. I've been going to watch him work out down in Orange County, and he's been up here several times," Kupchak told the press via Lakersholics. "He looks really good, says he feels great. No ill effects on either injury.
Kupchak added that Bryant's mindset for the upcoming campaign will be to serve as a mentor to team's young players and facilitator on the floor. However, the Lakers GM has no doubt the 'Black Mamba' can explode offensively at any given day.
"I think you'll see a player similar to what you saw two years ago. And once again, he'll do as much as he has to do to put us in the best chance to win. If that means guys got it going and we're scoring without him, then he'll continue to facilitate."
"If he feels that he does have to score, he'll try to score and I think he will. I think he'll be very effective. I'm not going to predict what his statistics will be. But I don't think for a second if we needed 30 from him or 35 one night, I think he can get it."
Bryant, who turned 36-years old last month, will have a hard task pushing the Lakers back to playoff contention after seeing power forward Pau Gasol leave for the Chicago Bulls and missing several elite free-agents this offseason.
The Lakers acquired point guard Jeremy Lin, center Ed Davis, rookie Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and veteran power forward Carlos Boozer to back up the holdovers from last season, but many analysts believed the talent is not enough to snag a playoff spot in a very competitive Western Conference.
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