The National Basketball Association's (NBA) Los Angeles Lakers and Head Coach Byron Scott have decided to make superstar guard Kobe Bryant sit out the rest of the preseason.

Scott said that this decision wasn't based on a lackluster performance.

On the contrary, Scott said that Bryant has shown him enough and that he and the team are all pretty happy with it.

Like Us on Facebook

"I just think he needs some rest," Scott said.

That's why Bryant was did not play in their last game against the Portland Trailblazers, where the Lakers won 94-86, or in their upcoming game against the Sacramento Kings.

Scott spoke about Bryant's past performances, noting the conditioning he showed in the past two games where The Black Mamba played 32 minutes in a winning effort against the Utah Jazz (98-91), and 34 minutes in an overtime loss against the Phoenix Suns (114-108).

He went on to talk about how throughout the preseason, all he really wanted to see in Bryant is if he would get stronger as the games wore on. This is why Scott has been playing Bryant hard in the second half of the games.

"He just looked strong down the stretch, and I thought that was important," he said.

The team will look to rest Bryant and get through the four days of work they will need to get ready for Houston.

This gave Guard Wayne Ellington the chance to step into the lineup and replace Bryant, as he joined Ronnie Price, Wesley Johnson, Carlos Boozer, and Robert Sacre for the starting five.

This also gives an opportunity for Jordan Clarkson to prove his worth to Scott and earn a spot on the team's rotation. Clarkson played 15 minutes against the Trailblazers and scored six points.

When people asked Scott about Bryant's minute limits however, he remained ambiguous and just indicated it was somewhere between 30 and 40. 

Tagsbyron scott, Los Angeles Lakers