Two familiar things have been missing from the Los Angeles Lakers this season, the first being playoff contention and the second being superstar Kobe Bryant. The Lakers will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2005 and it was announced last week that Bryant will remain sidelined for the rest of the campaign due to a fracture in his left knee. Still, the team remains optimistic about its future and the health of Bryant moving forward.
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"He feels very confident that he's going to be back at the best level that he's ever been," said teammate Pau Gasol via ESPN. "So, you got to go with what he says."
Gasol also addressed the sentiment that Bryant may not be the same player after missing so much time this season and due to the fact that he's turning 36 in August.
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"There's always that question mark," Gasol said, according to ESPN. "I think it's a fair doubt. But he's the one that has to do the work and prove it and then we'll all see."
Gasol also addressed the fact that Bryant is impatient and often critical of the Lakers' front office, while also hinting that he may depart due to free agency at the end of the season while Bryant still has two years left on his deal..
"His ideal scenario is not being on a team that [says], 'OK, let's see what happens. Let's be patient. Let's rebuild and let's get a couple of young players and go from there,'" said Gasol via ESPN. "That doesn't bring you championships. That doesn't make you win -- in the short term at least, which is what him and I am very focused on. He is tied in the next two years here with a great position, great contract. I'm free. So we're in a different position and I'll evaluate my options when I have them."
Bryant returned for just six games from a torn Achilles tendon before suffering the left knee fracture on Dec. 17. The five-time NBA Champion and 2008 Most Valuable Player's health is crucial to the team and coach Mike D'Antoni is counting on a full recovery for Bryant to spark the team in 2014-15.
"There's a lot of things that happened that we were hoping would turn out different," D'Antoni said about this season per ESPN. "To make the playoffs we said we would have to have Kobe and [Steve] Nash to have pretty good years and it didn't work out."
D'Antoni believes Bryant will find his way back to form.
'I think he'll bounce back," D'Antoni said. "He's 35 years old, he's not old old. So, it's a challenge for him, but there's no reason that he won't be back at a level that is really, really good in this league. He'll find a way to be one of the best in the league."
The Lakers better hope their head coach is right as their success next season may very well depend on Bryant being Bryant.
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