Bryant likely to face minutes restriction when he returns

Working his way back from a torn Achilles tendon, Kobe Bryant's rehabilitation may feel like it's been coming along slowly.

But that's mostly due to the constant updates and speculation around his return date. Originally, Christmas seemed a realistic, perhaps even aggressive, timeline for a return. Still, there are hints Bryant could play as soon as Friday against Sacramento.

When Bryant does return, however, he's likely to face a minutes limit, according to coach Mike D'Antoni. "It will probably be self-inflicted. His conditioning will limit most of it," D'Antoni said Sunday.

The newly-extended superstar had previously indicated he supported the idea of keeping his minutes in check. The fact that the Lakers are 9-8 without Bryant may help instill some additional confidence in his teammates.

Of course, he hasn't played fewer than 33.9 minutes since he was a sophomore in 1997-98, and he's only averaged fewer than 38 once in the past four years. So it will be interesting to see what Bryant considers a limited amount of minutes.