Too bad injuries have plagued a lot of the All-Stars, though, Kobe HAS played hurt before in the All-Star game.
NESN: As Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium draws closer, the lineup is becoming more and more uncertain. Injuries have plagued the top players on the roster. Brandon Roy already has pulled out of the game, and Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony remain question marks.
I’m glad he’s getting it checked rather than just playing through it. Either way, looks like we’ll most likely have another Kobe-less lineup.
Lakers BasketBlog: Kobe Bryant, who on Saturday in Portland missed his first game since Dec. 8, 2006, had an MRI exam on his sprained ankle Monday morning and is a game-time decision for the San Antonio game.Phil Jackson said after Monday’s shootaround that the results of the exam would not be available until later on in the evening. Jackson will likely address the issue during his pregame media session at STAPLES Center.
Here is a small injury update on Bryant and Bynum…
L.A. Times: The Lakers listed Bryant as questionable for Monday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center and Bynum as “more doubtful.”
Phil gave his thoughts on the players and fatigue.
Daily News: Lakers head coach Phil Jackson is thinking about giving his team some additional rest as the playoffs approach.
“I noticed they fell asleep on the plane last night, which is unusual for them,” Jackson said of how different his team looked from Friday night to Saturday morning. “They’re night owls. They all sleep in the morning when we fly in the mornings.”
Jackson called off their morning shootaround and held a film session on Saturday.
“You can see a drain on players all around the league,” he said. “Last night, I was watching Minnesota beat Dallas by 10, Orlando got beat by Washington. You see guys who are struggling, veteran players who play a lot of games.”
Jackson has already curtailed the team’s practice schedule.
“We really haven’t had a practice in two weeks,” Jackson said. “These guys rejoice in it because practice is practice. I get to work ‘em out the way I want to get it done. There are some joys to just playing games.”
Andrew Bynum got banged up a bit too; he also sat out the 2nd half of the Portland game.
L.A. Times: Center is wearing two knee braces and he sits out the second half because of a hip contusion.
Lakers center Andrew Bynum has been wearing another knee brace, this one because of swelling in his sore left knee.
Bynum said he was injured when he collided with Charlotte Bobcats forward Stephen Jackson during Wednesday night’s game at Staples Center.
Bynum still played in the game Friday night against the Denver Nuggets and Saturday night against Portland, but he is in pain.
Bynum started at center against the Trail Blazers, but he didn’t look mobile. He logged only nine minutes, and didn’t play at all in the second half because of a right hip contusion.
“It’s some swelling in it and I’m trying to get it out,” Bynum said of the knee before the game. “The only way to do that is rest. So over the All-Star break with that time that we have, I should be able to get back.”
That it’s the same knee that he had surgery on didn’t leave Bynum nervous. “I knew it was swollen up,” he said. “But it’s not anything that’s going to be too bad.
“It’s like a pain thing [and] range of motion. I’ve just got to get the swelling out and get back up. I’ll be getting treatment and just chillin’.”
Maybe Kobe should sit a game or two – he definetely deserves it. This is pretty amazing stuff…
ESPN: Courtesy of ESPN’s crack research team, here’s your Kobe Bryant Odometer, measured since the start of the 2007-08 season. We all know he’s played a lot, but I’ve never actually seen it tabulated like this.
Games Played Since 2007:
2007 Olympic Qualifying- 10
2007-08 Reg. Season- 82
2007-08 Postseason- 21
Pre-Olympic Tour- 5
Olympics- 8
2008-09 Reg. Season- 82
2008-09 Postseason- 23
2009-10 Reg. Season- 50
TOTAL- 281
Given how most of us haven’t gone to the gym 281 (or even 28) times since the start of the ‘07-’08 season, the concern Kobe might be stretching himself a little thin this year after tweaking his groin, knee, and elbow, fracturing a finger, and now wrenching his left ankle. Still, all signs point to game 282 coming tonight against the Nuggets (7 pm PT, ESPN). At shootaround this morning, Kobe (and this will shock- shock!- you) said he’ll play despite the bum wheel.
We know the Lakers have stated no “dramatic” changes need to be made, but it will be interesting to see if the Lakers pursue Hinrich; though doing so would go against their intentions of reducing payroll.
ESPN: Harder to read are the Lakers’ true intentions. They’re frequently mentioned as a prime suitor for Hinrich, but there are also regular rumblings that L.A.’s primary goal at the deadline is reducing payroll by persisting with recent attempts to move Sasha Vujacic or Luke Walton. Hinrich has two seasons and $17 million left on his contract after this season.
Why is it everytime the overly-emotional Thuggets Nuggets meet the Lakers, they feel the need to continue to talk, talk and talk? Well, here we go again.
Yahoo! Sports: “We kind of know how to beat them, what we have to do,” Karl said. “We’re learning that better, and I think that’s a positive.”
“Why should we be? [The championship] was last year,” Anthony said. “They are the same to me. They are the Lakers, I guess.”
“I don’t know if they’re better,” Billups said. “But they won it all. They don’t have to be better. Nobody was as good as them.
“That’s yet to be seen. I really, really thought Trevor Ariza(notes) was good for that team. I think they miss him.”
Continue reading ‘Nuggets see no reason to fear Lakers; begin running their mouths’
Kobe Bryant is going to give it a go tonight. It shouldn’t surprise any one of us though…
Twitter: Phil Jackson said that he expects Kobe Bryant (ankle) to play tonight against Denver.
Additionally, Gary Vitti had some high praises for Kobe’s toughness; most certainly unparalleled in the entire NBA.
Twitter: Lakers Trainer Gary Vitti on Kobe: He is absolutely the toughest, mentally and physically, athlete that I’ve ever worked with.”
We all know Kobe Bryant will laugh at this if he reads it. But I ask the fans this — should Kobe sit out a few games and heal up his body. He’s in such great physical shape, but he is a bit banged up and last night against the Bobcats, he suffered another small injury; sprained ankle. In fact, Phil Jackson told us he was getting therapy the entire practice to see if he can play tomorrow night against Denver.
Bryant did not participate in practice, opting to spend the time “trying a variety of therapies on the ankle to see what will work for him,” according to Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
Perhaps Kobe should sit out a few and heal up for a game or two. Also, Melo is reportedly out tomorrow so maybe it would be good for Kobe to miss a few? The BIG picture is the post-season, afterall… Sound off.
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