You will not be seeing the Black Mamba much for the remainder of the season. As
Kobe Bryant coninues to deal with a painful shin injury, the Lakers are expected to be extremely cautious with him in advance of the NBA playoffs. What had started as a relatively minor injury has brought up talk that Bryant could have played his last regular season game, though the possibility is remote. In fact, as the L.A. Times reports, Bryant is only just now moving to the phase where he can run without pain.
Bryant will now begin running again, and if that is pain-free, can begin drills that involve jumping. If there is no discomfort at that point, he will be cleared to play.
There’s a chance he will miss the rest of the regular season, though it is considered a longshot.
Bryant sitting out 10 consecutive games to end the regular season?
“I don’t think so,” Brown said before the game. “We knew it was going to be a process. We knew it was an injury where we didn’t want to rush him back. But he is making progress.”
The Lakers have actually flourished without Bryant. Not because of his absence, don’t get worked up, Kobe fans. But because of the impetus for supporting players to step up has caused an increase in confidence and production from
Metta World Peace,
Matt Barnes, and others. If they can integrate Bryant successfully back into the fold without losing the chemistry they’ve developed on the floor, the Lakers could have something serious come playoff time.
Of course that’s a big if. It certainly sounds as if Bryant won’t be back until the very least another week, giving him only a couple of games to get back into full motion. Then again, considering Bryant’s experience in the playoffs, it’s hard to see him having trouble ramping up his gear to the right level. It’s awkward timing, but assuming the process heals the injury right, it shouldn’t be an area of a concern for the Lakers, and actually a welcome opportunity to rest the rest of Bryant’s body.
Kobe Bryant can run again, but is a long way from playing | ProBasketballTalk