The 35-year-old tore his Achilles against the Golden State Warriors on April 12, and the initial timetable for his return was six to nine months. Six months has just passed given the fact that we're now nearing the end of October, but thrusting himself back into action so early could be detrimental to both his success and the team's.
Head coach Mike D'Antoni used Steve Blake in Bryant's spot at shooting guard for each of the final two games of the preseason against the Utah Jazz. There are few players in the NBA that I would want to replace Bryant—Blake isn't one of them—but it's hard to overlook the numbers he put up in those two games.
After serving as a role player in their game on October 22 against Utah—he scored just two points on just two field-goal attempts and grabbed six rebounds—he stepped it up big time for the rematch just a few nights later.
He went 7-of-7, shooting for 19 points, and played a key role in the Lakers' 111-106 victory. Blake seems to step up in important situations, and replacing Bryant for however long he rehabs would qualify as "important."
If you recall, Blake was pretty good in the two games he played in last year's playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. He scored 14.0 points per game and shot 41.7 percent from three. When the Lakers needed to make a shot, they looked to him with Bryant out.
Again, he represents a big drop-off from Bryant's level of production—and one could argue that even an unhealthy Bryant could contribute more in the short-term future—but he's a solid option to replace him for as long as Bryant needs to fully recover.
Even if Bryant...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
