Kobe doin' too much work -- ramifications?
By Buck Harvey
Phil Jackson is playing Kobe Bryant as he always has, which is a lot. Bryant is averaging 38.6 minutes a night this season with an assortment of injuries.
Maybe Jackson knows what he's doing. Just this week, after all, Jackson reached another milestone. He's now won more games than any Lakers coach ever has.
Maybe Bryant, unlike Tim Duncan, doesn't need rest.
Or maybe something else is going on.
Maybe this is the only way the Lakers lose in the Western Conference playoffs.
Bryant had already been playing with a fractured right index finger and a sore back, and a tender left ankle has bothered him lately. Still, he's played 45, 40 and 37 minutes in his last three games.
Duncan is averaging closer to 32 minutes a game this season, when he hasn't been held out altogether. Gregg Popovich has tried everything to find Duncan some relief; sitting him for the entire first quarter, as he did in Toronto, was a stretch that Popovich likely won't do again.
Duncan is two years older than Bryant, all right. But Bryant has played in more regular-season NBA games.
Bryant was limping in his last one, and even Jackson noticed. "He couldn't get off the ground, couldn't get any push off of that ankle tonight," Jackson said Wednesday night.
But at the end of the game, Jackson still put him back in. "I really didn't want to have to bring him back but when they closed the gap there in the last two minutes," Jackson said afterward. "I think I had to."
Jackson didn't have to. It's just February, after all. The Lakers comfortably lead the Western Conference. And the only way they won't be the favorites is if they have a hurting Kobe.
If Popovich ran the Lakers? Bryant would be at home right now, doin' nothing.
I think that is the HUGE difference between the Lakers and Spurs. Although TD is the franchise player of this team, they can still win games without him. That Laker team without Kobe is nothing....and I think Phil Jackson knows it. Should he rest Kobe and give him some nights off? Sure..but thats not the way those 2 work...
Very interesting. That is something that could be monumentally big to watch as we go down the stretch. A hurting Kobe is still a force to be reckoned with, but I'd take my chances with a well-rested squad against his lakers deep in the playoffs.
Counting on Kobe to go down to injury is like counting on a Doberman to fetch your steak dinner.
Chances are, you're going to end up disappointed. But we can always hope.
He ain't Superman, though--he is human. I don't wish for him to get injured, but like I said, I'll take my chances with a Bryant that's slightly less than 100% (even if it's just from fatigue). Every little bit helps!
If Phil keeps doing this Kobe will be hurting come playoff time. IMO
Kobe Bryant is due a major injury.You not even winning games with TD.
Kobe has some stat padding to do... remember he's in a personal chase to try to catch the GOAT...
PJ's record speaks for itself. Name one time that he lost a championship because he overworked/overplayed his superstar.
Last edited by Capt Bringdown; 02-04-2010 at 09:46 PM.
I will think that Kobe, being an egomaniac that he is, will make a big fuss if he is rested. As such, that will not happen. Injury, however, has been kind on him. I do not hope for injury on any player but it seems more and more likely that his body will collapse sooner rather than later given the mileage.
I said that weeks ago on The Kori Ellis Show #1.
I said that both Gasol & Bryant haven't really had any long breaks since 2008 and that the Lakers lack of a bench could pose major issues. Hence, them repeating is NOT a foregone conclusion.
Oh yeah, then tell us prior to Phil Jackson, why the Lakers only repeated once in their time in Los Angeles? Unless of course you're talking about repeat finals losses. Then I get you. In that case, your LAL team has done both repeats and threepeats as a multiple repeat loser.
It's not a recent event or do you guys forget that you've actually not made the playoffs before with Kobe as your defined leader?
Last edited by Man In Black; 02-04-2010 at 09:52 PM.
The day that basketball antichrist kobe gets sidelined with a major injury is the day I start to believe there is a god again.
don't worry it's all part of the plan, but bandwagon laker fan didn't see this coming and the end is near - maybe it's time to jump ship to Lebron's teamYou not even winning games with TD.
Damn if Pop ran the Lakers, he'd be playing Jordan Farmar at Power Forward.
you guys along with buck harvey are in stupid.
Sitting Kobe would be a good way to give Denver HCA throughout the West playoffs.
But yea Pop, keep resting Duncan. You're only 2 losses away from the 10 seed.
yeah dude...buck harvey is a tool man...Sitting Kobe would be a good way to give Denver HCA throughout the West playoffs.
But yea Pop, keep resting Duncan. You're only 2 losses away from the 10 seed.
phil jackson owns popovich....x 10.
come on man....
small town newspaper still....if it wasn't for duncan228 posting mysa.com crap, I wouldn't even know they existed anymore.
I disagree. The Lakers team is still a playoff team with or without Kobe.
The Spurs are not.
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