The Los Angeles Lakers must be dazed and confused these days considering the number of injuries that have befallen the team in the past few weeks. The coaching staff must be wondering if they have enough guys left to even field a team.
Kobe Bryant made several valiant efforts in getting the Lakers into the playoffs in the first place but then went down for the count with a torn Achilles tendon and can only pull for his team from the sidelines at Staples Center.
So Kobe is out. So Stave Nash steps up but then it turns out that he has a bad back plus hamstring issues. It was painful just to watch him limping up and down the floor in the last game in San Antonio.
Adding to the Lakers woes third year guard for the Lakers out of Kentucky Jody Meeks has a torn ligament in his sprained left ankle and is most likely out for the season. He can’t even get his shoe on.
The Laker point guard who really stepped up when Kobe went down was Steve Blake in his 9th NBA season. He started hitting buckets from all over the floor until he strained his right hamstring which pretty much puts him out of the playoff picture as well.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry finished his last game with 30 points and 13 assists but he has a badly sprained ankle. He will probably play as best he can when the Warriors continue their series against the Denver Nuggets but don’t expect 100% from Curry for awhile.
The Miami Heat could probably win the NBA title again this year without the services of All Star Shooting Guard Dwayne Wade. He suffered three bone bruises earlier in the season and missed 6 games that didn’t even slow the Heat down. So, Wade is on a day-to-day basis if Miami needs him, he will probably play…..and play well.
Oklahoma Point Guard Russell Westbrook has suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee and is out of action until further notice. No time table has yet been set for a comeback but it is doubtful that Westbrook will return to the basketball court in time for this years’ playoffs. Metta World Peace of the Lakers recently came back from a similar injury and operation in about two weeks. However, each case is different and the Thunder will no doubt be better off in the long run to let him heal up completely before returning to action.
