Lakers NBA 2014 News, Rumors: Jeremy Lin, Steve Nash Injury Problems, Kobe Bryant 40th in ESPN's Rankings

Chalk it up to plain anxiety over the respective health conditions of Jeremy Lin and Steve Nash, but fans are wondering hard about the composition of the LA Lakers' roster for the 2014-15 NBA season.

Point guard Nash's has publicly admitted having recurring problems with his back due to nerve damage two seasons ago. This has clouded his chances of finishing the full 2014-2015 season.

Nash earlier denied rumors that he would retire soon. He has done his best to disprove the publicly assumed prospect that he will be benched in the regular season primarily because of the limited playing time given him in the preseason. He said he could not order his back to stop aching during the preseason training.

Faced with a lingering back injury that was apparently due to having lifted heavy luggage, Nash may find it difficult to play his kind of game on the hardcourt.

To compound the Lakers' woes, Lin also recently sprained his ankle. The painful sprain cost him the preseason game against the Utah Jazz. This unforeseen situation is totally in conflict with what Lakers coach Byron Scott has been foreseeing. He had been counting on Lin as the team's starting point guard.

As for Kobe Bryant, the Lakers' franchise player was named 40th in ESPN's rankings for all NBA players. Lebron James, Chris Paul, and Kevin Durant ranked higher than Bryant. And that's not the only gloomy news for Bryant's fans.

Coach Scott has told media that Bryant's playing time would be lowered to around 30 minutes per game, with Bryant himself having decided on this time range. Although the range was lower than what Coach Scott has originally planned on, it ended up being a mutually acceptable decision. This could mean more minutes of hardcourt action for players like Wayne Ellington and Jordan Clarkson.