Howard has been dealing with a nagging shoulder injury for much of the season, and according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, he returned to Los Angeles to undergo treatment last week. McMenamin quoted Howard on the status of his shoulder after treatment:
“It's extremely sore all over. [Saturday] after the procedure it was real stiff, but there's nothing I can do about it right now.”
Howard has been ineffective as a result of his labrum injury, but resting the sore shoulder may be his best chance of returning to full strength. As indicated by Ryan Knaus of NBC Sports, surgery doesn’t seem to be a possibility at the moment:
Los Angeles can’t afford to lose Howard for an extended period of time. As shaky as his play has been at times, having Howard on the floor is the only way the Lakers will be able to develop chemistry.
After adding Howard and Steve Nash in the offseason, the Lakers were expected to roll through the Western Conference en route to another title shot. But after an early-season coaching change, the turmoil began to build, culminating in a sub-.500 record and innumerable trade rumors at this point in the season.
Mike D’Antoni has done everything he can to shake up the lineup in an attempt to maximize production this year. He even went as far as relegating Pau Gasol to a bench role, citing an inability for Gasol and Howard to play effectively when on the court together.
Whether or not that is true is irrelevant. There is no way to know what Los Angeles’ squad is capable of if major pieces like Howard can’t stay healthy.
The Lakers have panicked too often this ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
