NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Might Bench Kobe Bryant

NBA rumors are now swirling around about the final few games of Kobe Bryant before he rides off into the sunset. There are now talks that the Los Angeles Lakers legend might actually be coming off the bench to finish off his career. Lakers head coach Byron Scott has long been rumored to be on the way out the door, so he has decided to commit to developing the younger players. According to the Los Angeles Times, Scott could start Larry Nance Jr. at small forward soon.

For a good portion of the NBA season, Larry Nance Jr. started at power forward for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was inserted into the starting lineup because Byron Scott wanted to punish Julius Randle for his lack of effort on defense. Nance Jr surprised many in the National Basketball Association by being a solid starter. The 6’9?, 235-pound forward became someone that Lakers management believed in.

After Kobe Bryant retires from the NBA, Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak wants the team to be built around Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell, and Julius Randle. Russell and Randle are locked down for a couple of years, but he’s going to need to sign Clarkson this summer. Larry Nance got himself penciled into the future plans by playing really well when asked to start. He’s a part of the supporting cast.

The problem for the Los Angeles Lakers is that they want to reward Larry Nance Jr for his hard work, but they also don’t want to stifle Julius Randle by playing him off the bench. Byron Scott started pondering the idea of moving Nance Jr from power forward to small forward. Nance Jr is 6’9?, 235 pounds, but he’s also very explosive. At 14 percent shooting from outside the three point line, though, Nance Jr. isn’t going to be able to spread the floor for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Another potential problem for the Los Angeles Lakers might be how their fan base reacts to Kobe Bryant being benched. There’s only 13 games left for the Lakers, as they have no chance of making the NBA Playoffs. However, that’s a decent amount of games to see if Larry Nance Jr. can handle the small forward position. Getting him on the court is better for the future of the Lakers than letting an aging Ron Artest get meaningless starts.

Some will point out that NBA fans didn’t go into an uproar when the Washington Wizards utilized Michael Jordan off the bench. However, that’s a different situation. Jordan was best known as being a member of the Chicago Bulls, where he won six NBA Championships. With the Wizards, it was more of a side show. Kobe Bryant has been with the Los Angeles Lakers from the start of his career in the National Basketball Association.

Earlier in the season, Kobe Bryant shocked the NBA when he announced that he was going to retire. Many felt that he was too competitive to cede that he can no longer win games. Bryant even became a bit of a teacher to D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle. Bryant should shock people again by telling Byron Scott to start Larry Nance Jr., which would alleviate potential resentment from fans for the benching.

As long as Kobe Bryant gets on the court at some point in time, NBA fans should be able to enjoy his final few moments. The Los Angeles Lakers have done his farewell tour rather well. The season is almost over, but it’s time for the Lakers to focus on the future, one that will not include Bryant and his legendary status.

[Photo by Harry How/Getty Images]