Yet.
As everybody knows by now, Kobe Bryant went down with a sprained ankle in the final seconds of the 96-92 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, after he landed awkwardly on Dahntay Jones’ foot.
I’m in the dirty-play camp. Apparently, so is the NBA, which issued a statement late Thursday that a foul should have been called on Jones.
It’s water under the bridge now. As Kobe says, gotta put on his big boy pants.
However, the Lakers do retain their slim playoff hopes. The Utah Jazz obliged by not beating the Oklahoma City Thunder, which leaves the Lakers with a tenuous hold on the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Next up: Friday against the Indiana Pacers.
My bet is Mamba won’t play. But I’ve bet against Kobe returning early from injury before and been wrong, so who knows. Mamba is in legacy mode now, and a huge part of his legacy is his unbelievably high tolerance for and ability to play through pain.
If we’re going to look at this glass as half full, consider the Lakers have a relatively light schedule for the next seven days, which includes three full days off in one stretch. That will give Kobe more time to heal if he needs it.
This is what I do know: With or without a hobbled Kobe, Dwight Howard has to step up.
He wants to be The Man? Here’s his chance.
Being The Man in Los Angeles is not the same as being The Man in Orlando. The Lakers are one of the marquee franchises in the NBA.
There are expectations.
These upcoming games, especially if Kobe can’t play, provide Howard a chance to show he can step up and carry the team. In a twist of fate no one could have foreseen, Kobe's injury gives the Lakers front office the opportunity to see how Howard can perform under the most scrutiny and without ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
