Lakers News: Kobe Bryant's Frustration, High Praise for Julius Randle and More

Any hope the Los Angeles Lakers had for a quick start to help spark an unexpectedly strong season is fading away at a rapid rate. The Lake Show are already 0-3 while giving up more than 115 points per game heading into Tuesday's clash with the Denver Nuggets.

While that's obviously not an ideal start regardless of the circumstances, it's an even bigger issue in the remarkably deep Western Conference. The Lakers had very little margin for error coming into the campaign, and it's shrinking with each passing loss.

Exactly what that means depends on each person's outlook on the season. For the Lakers, it's led to early frustration, as evidenced by Kobe Bryant's day away from practice.

Let's check out that and some other news surrounding the team.

Kobe's Day Off

The fact Bryant is back out on the court is a great sign after he missed a majority of last season with a shoulder injury. His performance has been well below his usual standards, however, as he is shooting 31 percent from the field and 21 percent from beyond the arc through three games.

That isn't sitting well with the five-time champion. Baxter Holmes of ESPN noted that the formerly dynamic guard called himself "the 200th-best player in the league right now" and that head coach Byron Scott decided to give him a day off from practice Monday for a mental break.

"I said, just stay away from the gym today," Scott said. "Just spend some time with your kids and family and get basketball off your mind for 24 hours if you can—which I don't think he can—and then come in tomorrow fresh and we'll go from there."

It's not fair to expect Bryant to showcase the vintage form he displayed while leading the franchise to championships and contending for MVP awards. That said, it's difficult to watch him struggle like he has so far, and it's clearly taken a toll on him.

His extremely competitive nature surely plays a key role in that. He wants to prove he can still play at a high level, and his body just hasn't let him do it the last couple years. Expect better showings in the coming weeks as long as he stays healthy, but the progress isn't happening quick enough for his liking.

Dirk Nowitzki Talks Up Julius Randle

Randle has been one of the bright spots for the Lakers in the early going. He's averaging 13.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists as he works his way back to full speed after suffering a broken leg in his debut one year ago. Now he's showing why the team took him with the the seventh overall pick.

What his lacks in size (6'9'') at the power forward position he makes up for with an intriguingly well-rounded skill set. It's something that caught the eye of 13-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki when the Lakers faced off with the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, as noted by Ryan Ward of Examiner.com.

"Oh, he's going to be tough in this league," Nowitzki said. "He puts the ball on the floor like no other power forward in this league. He's strong, he's athletic, he can finish. He's a tough matchup for a lot of 4s in this league, so his future is very bright."

Randle scored 22 points and grabbed 15 boards in the loss to the Mavs. As he becomes more confident, that combination of power and athleticism should continue to become more prominent. It's easy to forget that his career is less than 100 minutes old due to the injury.

The Lakers hope it all eventually translates into his becoming a franchise cornerstone. Nowitzki, who's gone up against his fair share of power forwards over the past couple of decades, clearly believes Randle has all the tools to fill an important role for a long time.

Frontcourt Injuries

Randle may be forced into more extensive action in the short term. The Lakers are dealing with injuries to both Brandon Bass and Larry Nance Jr. which could leave them without much depth in the post, depending on the extent of the ailments.

Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times reported that Bass suffered a corneal abrasion in the loss to Dallas and that Nance had his nose broken by Randle in Monday's practice. Pincus noted that the status for both players is up in the air ahead of Tuesday's matchup with Denver.

Bass has been merely average off the bench in the season's early stages. With him ailing, Nance could have gotten an opportunity to carve out a niche for himself with a strong showing or two. Instead, he's also focused on recovery.

The Lakers won't want to overextend Randle, so Ryan Kelly figures to pick up the extra slack if the other backup power forwards are sidelined. Given the team's struggles so far, the last thing it needs is a sudden rash of injuries to further complicate the situation.