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Kobe leads Lakers into season opener vs. Rockets

Oct 28, 2014 - 2:21 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Kobe Bryant returns to the Los Angeles Lakers' lineup Tuesday night as they open the season at the Staples Center against the Houston Rockets.

Bryant played just six games last season after starting the campaign recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon. He then hurt his left knee and was shut down for the season.

The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer will begin his 19th season, all with the Lakers, with the added significance, even if Bryant wants to downplay it to some degree, of returning from injury.

"It's step one of a long journey," said Bryant. "I'm excited to get back out there and I can't say I haven't missed the game. I missed it so much. I'm just happy to be playing."

The Lakers have to be happy as well. The team endured a 27-55 campaign, the franchise's worst mark in the 82-game schedule era, and only the second season under .500 since Bryant joined the NBA.

Things didn't get much better in the offseason, excluding Bryant's return to the lineup.

Pau Gasol left the team via free agency, deciding to sign with the Chicago Bulls. Steve Nash's tenure with the team will end with a missed season due to a back injury.

Mike D'Antoni resigned as head coach and the Lakers, very late in the hiring process, brought back former player, Byron Scott. He's been very successful in stops in New Orleans and with the Nets, but his recent run with the Cleveland Cavaliers was less than memorable.

Jeremy Lin was acquired from the Houston Rockets, Carlos Boozer was claimed after the Bulls amnestied him and the team selected Julius Randle with its first-round pick.

Nick Young, the team's leading scorer last season, will miss time at the start of the season thanks to a torn radial collateral ligament in his right thumb.

The Rockets are coming off an impressive 54-28 2013-14 season, but were bounced in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs by the Portland Trail Blazers. Houston held the homecourt advantage in the series, but it didn't matter.

Needing to improve, the Rockets went in the opposite direction. They lost key personnel and failed to land the big free-agent prize in the summer, despite sending rotation players packing in order to free up cap space.

The Rockets shipped Lin to the Lakers and packaged Omer Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans. These moves were done with the intention of prying Chris Bosh from the Miami Heat. Seemed like the Rockets were in a good position to do that when LeBron James left the Heat for the Cavs, but Bosh re-upped with the Heat.

Then, Chandler Parsons, the team's third-leading scorer last season, signed an offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks. Houston opted not to match, so Trevor Ariza was brought in as his replacement.

Houston lost three key players, failed to get Bosh and has taken steps backward in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

"Game starts tomorrow, so we're going to have to be ready," head coach Kevin McHale said Monday. "We're ready to get going and find out where we're at."

The Rockets still have All-NBA performers in shooting guard James Harden and center Dwight Howard. McHale's squad needs to improve its rebounding, especially on the defensive side, and defense in general. Ariza is a massive upgrade defensively over Parsons, point guard Patrick Beverley made the All- Defensive second team and Howard was the Defensive Player of the Year four times.

The Rockets won three of four against the Lakers last season, but are 3-6 in the last nine as the visitor in this series.