Rehab Checklist for Steve Blake’s Return to the Los Angeles Lakers

Following laparoscopic surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle on Dec. 5, Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Blake will embark on a 6-8 week recovery program before he sees the court again.

It says a lot about the recent struggles of the Lakers when the loss of Blake, who was supposed to do nothing more than provide limited minutes off the bench, feels like a significant blow. But with Steve Nash still sidelined with a cracked fibula, L.A. has only the spectacularly unspectacular Chris Duhon and the woefully inexperienced Darius Morris to handle point guard duties.

Although he's been sidelined since Nov. 11, Blake's prospective two-month absence now comes at a tough time for a reeling Lakers team. L.A. has lost four of its last five and will take its 2-7 road record on a four-game swing to the east coast starting Dec. 11.

Admittedly, Blake's return is really just an afterthought compared to the much more critical comeback of Nash, but anyone who's watched the Lakers' current point guards struggle to make any sort of positive impact on the game knows that Blake's absence really does matter.

It's going to be a couple of months until he's back at full strength, and a few of the pit stops on the road to recovery are going to be unpleasant. Here's a look at the rehab checklist of Steve Blake.

Note: All stats accurate through games played Dec. 10

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