"It doesn't mean we're not going to have some bumps along the road," Kupchak said. But having Kobe here for practice is a very good thing. You know, in a sense, maybe it's good we kind of start off with the understanding we're going to have to be flexible. Although it would have been nice to start with the group intact, I think this is the way we're going to have to be all year. The guys, from the get-go, are going to have to understand that."