Kobe Bryant “Definitely” Playing Against Denver

Kobe Bryant sat out Saturday's 40-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a sore shoulder, but the 37-year-old appears set to return on Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets. Officially listed as "probable" for the game, reports out of Denver had Bryant "definitely" playing for the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

Kobe definitely playing tonight vs Denver — Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) December 22, 2015

Bryant's recovery and likely availability should come with little shock, as the superstar flew home to LA for a quick family stop before re-joining the team on Monday. If Bryant did not plan on playing on Tuesday, he would have probably stayed in LA and waited for the Lakers versus Thunder game at Staples Center on Wednesday.

A mile high and in the thin air of Denver, the Lakers (4-23) take on the Denver Nuggets (11-16). Denver has won five of its last eight games, but the Nuggets enter Tuesday night on the back of two defeats: at Utah and against New Orleans. The Lakers have also lost their last two games, but LA felt the burn of two big losses that added up to a 60-point deficit over the previous two games. Going back a bit further, the Lakers have lost eight of their last nine games.

Tuesday features the second of four meetings between the Lakers and Nuggets, and LA will return to Colorado in March, so Bryant will likely not be honored on this occasion. In the first meeting, Jordan Clarkson poured in 30 points in a losing effort. Kenneth Faried had his way on the glass and led the Nuggets to a 120-109 victory with 28 points and 15 rebounds in the victory. Danilo Gallinari, who leads the team in scoring, added 21 points that night.

Kobe is "definitely 100% ready to go" tonight vs. Denver, Byron said. — Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) December 22, 2015

With Bryant ready, the Lakers expect to start the same lineup that has featured in recent games: Clarkson, Lou Williams, Bryant, Larry Nance Jr. and Roy Hibbert. Rookie D'Angelo Russell and almost-rookie Julius Randle expect to continue playing off the bench.

Since joining the reserves seven games earlier, Randle is averaging 11.4 points and 10.1 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game, which is a testament to the forward's ability to be aggressive and produce regardless of his role. However, Randle has had the odd off-game, and the 21-year-old only managed two points in 26 minutes against Oklahoma City.

Russell's move to the bench has actually yielded more consistency from the 19-year-old point guard. Since the switch, Russell is averaging 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 29.9 minutes per game. However, Russell did start  a couple games that Clarkson missed due to a sprained ankle, and those extra minutes appeared to greatly help the youngster gain confidence and find a rhythm.

Though the fan base and onlookers have been scratching their heads on the decision to move both young starlets to the bench, Randle recently shared that the experience had provided a bit of added perspective.

"I got to see the game from a different perspective," Randle said recently. “I just didn’t let it bother me and just saw how I can get better from it."

Randle added, "(From the bench) you see different bits. You see when guys are fortunate and when guys aren't so when you get in there, you can make the team better."

Agree or disagree with Scott bringing Randle and Russell off the bench, the Lakers do not expect to start either of their top two young talents on Tuesday night in Denver. The Lakers and Nuggets tip-off at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time.