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Lakers’ Mike D’Antoni confident Kobe Bryant will return to form

Coach Mike D'Antoni said he think Kobe Bryant will make a strong return for the Lakers after recovering from an Achilles' injury.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers Coach Mike D’Antoni expects Kobe Bryant to return strong from his Achilles’ injury next season.

“With his determination and his brain, he’s got a good chance at it,” said D’Antoni to SNY.tv. “I know he’ll be effective and good.”

Bryant tore his Achilles’ tendon April 12 in a victory over the Golden State Warriors. He had surgery the following day, and was expected to be out six to nine months.

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“We’ll just see, see how the summer plays out, but Kobe will be fine and he’ll be back 100%,” D’Antoni said.

The Lakers have a number of issues to deal with over the off-season, specifically the status of free agent center Dwight Howard.

“Dwight, I don’t know,” D’Antoni said. “We’ll see. Obviously, we can’t really talk about it.”

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The Lakers hope to re-sign Howard to a five-year deal in July. Howard may explore a number of options, including the Lakers.

D’Antoni also acknowledged he won’t continue as an assistant with Team USA.

“It’s been an unbelievable experience and I would recommend it for any coach,” D’Antoni said. “But I kind of ran my course, and happy for it.”

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Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.

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