Kobe Adds To Lakers Injury Woes
Kobe says he is not going to miss any games. But after a 5 for 20 shooting night, maybe he should.
This man needs a night off, but will he take it?
The man himself tried to downplay it, but anytime the words Kobe Bryant and injury are in the same sentence, Lakers fans (not to mention Phil Jackson) become a little worried.
After Kobe left the court and went to the locker room with just over three minutes left Sunday night — in a game the Lakers lost to Houston and Kobe shot poorly — it was announced that Bryant has been playing through a strained groin muscle. He injured it against New Orleans a week ago then aggravated it again Sunday.
Of course, in vintage Kobe fashion, he said after the game he wasn’t about to miss games for this. The man has been playing for two years with fingers that need surgery and are held in place by tape, so no little strain is going to stop him.
But this injury has clearly effected his play — Kobe was 5 of 20 from the field against the Rockets. He was 7 of 17 two nights before against the Nuggets. (Part of that was also that teams have started adjusting to him playing in the post, and he has not counter adjusted by setting up teammates much yet. And when he has they missed the shot Sunday. It was all kinds of ugly on offense.)
That’s a big change from the very efficient Kobe we have seen so far this year, the one who gets position in the post and is impossible to stop from there (ala Michael Jordan at the end of his career). But, getting position down on the block takes strength and a lot of pushing with your legs, and Kobe is not doing that as well right now because of the injury.
Kobe added he is not missing a game for this. Kobe wanting to play through his injury is the opposite of Pau Gasol and how he is dealing with another injury that can linger, his strained hamstring. Gasol has missed every Lakers game this season (and the last six of the preseason) with a hamstring that is not quite right. He wants it to be 100%, he wants to be pain free, before he gets back on the court.
That’s not Kobe, he fights through pain. But maybe taking a game off (say, Tuesday against Detroit) would be good for everyone. A win in November is nice, but a healthy Kobe who can win games in April, May and June is more important.
Kurt Helin lives in Los Angeles where he is runs the NBA/Lakers blog Forum Blue & Gold (which you can also follow in twitter).
