EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Kobe Bryant continued to inch closer to a return, practicing at full speed in five-on-five drills for the first time Tuesday and saying he could see himself returning to game action for the Los Angeles Lakers by the end of the month.

"Yeah, yeah I can," Bryant said when asked if it was possible he might return in one of the team's five remaining games in November.

Bryant has been out since rupturing his Achilles tendon April 12. While Bryant and Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni stressed that he's not back to 100 percent and there are "areas where it still needs to get stronger," both noted they've been "pleasantly surprised" by how well the guard seems to have responded to the escalation in activity since he was cleared to resume all basketball activities Saturday.

"I wouldn't say 'limitations,'" Bryant said. "I think there's areas where it still needs to get stronger in terms of the jumping and being able to plant quickly and change directions and things like that. Those are areas where you just have to get stronger ... but I could adjust my game and play at a pretty high level right now."

D'Antoni repeatedly stressed that the Lakers intend to be cautious with Bryant, but also noted that he was "surprised" at how good he looked in practice Tuesday.

"He hasn't played since April but he looks pretty good," D'Antoni said. "I don't know why that surprises me, but it does. He was up and down pretty good. A little rusty here and there, but good."

When asked if he noticed any of Bryant's teammates taking it easy on him, or if he was worried about pushing Bryant too hard, D'Antoni laughed and said, "No. They better beat him up while they can because after he gets back they won't be able to."