The Los Angeles Lakers will look to bounce back from one of the worst seasons in franchise history, and general manager Mitch Kupchak believes that superstar guard Kobe Bryant will continue to have a big role.
In an interview with NBA.com, Kupchak said that Bryant looks better this offseason and he believes that he will be ready to contribute a lot right from the start of the 2014-15 NBA season.
Bryant averaged 13.8 points to go along with 6.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game last season, but he went down with a knee injury just in his sixth game coming off a surgery that repaired a torn Achilles tendon.
Most experts are already writing Bryant off because of his age and injury, but Kupchak is convinced that the two major injuries will not affect the 36-year-old superstar's performance next season.
"I think everybody's healthy right now. 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. He looks really good, says he feels great. No ill effects on either injury," Kupchak said.
Kupchak also predicted an excellent year for Bryant, who will be playing in his 19th season in the league.
"I think he's going to have an excellent year. Once again, he's gonna have to stay healthy," Kupchak said. "He's been working every day. I get reports. I've seen him personally. I know he's working and speaking with Byron Scott on a daily or semi-daily basis."
The longtime Lakers executive admitted, though, that he is unsure whether or not Bryant will be as explosive as before, saying that he can't judge based on what he saw from the 18-year veteran's recent workout.
"Well, it's hard to tell," Kupchak said when asked about Bryant's explosiveness. "I'll be honest with you, because what he's been doing has been - with the exception of the one time he played here and I was not here - I've watched his workouts and they were basically him and three or four other guys going through drills. And from a drill point of view, it's tough to tell."
Bryant, who holds a career average of 25.5 points to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, previously said that he might consider retirement once his current two-year, $48 million deal expires.
