Kobe Bryant: On tap to play Friday

Bryant (back, knees) is expected to play against the Raptors on Friday, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Analysis:

Bryant mostly sat out of practices Wednesday and Thursday for maintenance purposes, and that's the norm these days with the aging veteran. He's averaging 30.4 minutes over eight games this season, and should see around that amount of playing time Friday, despite skipping out on the week of practice.