Impact After he was cleared to make his season debut Jan. 12 following an extended recovery from the torn ACL he suffered just over a year earlier, Bryant had been eased back into the mix in a bench role. He was part of a three-man rotation at center in each of his first seven appearances, averaging 7.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 14.6 minutes per contest. Unseld made the decision prior to Saturday's contest to reinsert Bryant as the starter, with Daniel Gafford heading to the bench in a corresponding move and being left out of the rotation entirely. Though Bryant saw some extra run (20 minutes) in his move to the top unit, he didn't make much of a mark in the box score (four points on 2-for-8 shooting from the field, four rebounds, one steal and one block), and he allowed his counterpart at center, Steven Adams, to scoop up five offensive boards in his first stint on the court. Unseld believes Bryant can improve once he has a few more games to shake off the rust, but the 24-year-old will need to deliver better results sooner or later to ensure he sticks ahead of both Montrezl Harrell and Gafford on the depth chart for the rest of the season.
JANUARY 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
