Laker fans everywhere are wondering what these playoffs would have been like if Kobe Bryant hadn't gotten injured the last week of the season. The Lakers were finally starting to look the part of a contending team in the Western Conference and then Kobe went down. After Game 1 of the playoff series with the San Antonio Spurs, though our defense was much better than it has been, we still couldn't score enough to beat a NBA Championship team. So if I had to ask you right now which would you choose? A healthy Kobe Bryant, but no playoffs or see the Lakers make it to at least the Western Conference finals?
This has to be a tough choice for Laker fans, but for me it wouldn't be that much of a question. What matters to the Lakers are titles and though seeing this team succeed without its best player, I would much rather have a healthy Kobe. Heading into this summer there are plenty of questions the Lakers must address. Is Dwight going to stay? Can we find a way to help Steve Nash stay healthy? How do we improve the bench? Etc... The biggest question however will be, can Kobe be ready for the beginning of next season and what kind of player will he be when healthy?
For 17 seasons now we have been blessed and privileged with the abilities of one Kobe "Black Mamba" Bryant. If he can't come back from this injury with the same abilities that he has had in the past how do we move on? I don't want to think about that, because if there is one thing that we have learned about Kobe it's that he is resilient and a fighter. Age will eventually catch up with him, but he is still relatively young and can still recover from this type of injury. I know that everybody wants to see Kobe come back and be the same type of player. You may not like him, but you have to respect the way he plays the game.
Game 2 with the Spurs is on Wednesday. After watching game 1 and reviewing a bit of the game one thing is obvious. The Spurs bench is much better than the Lakers. Manu, Gary Neal, Matt Bonner and the rest of the somewhat no-names who always torch the Lakers are back at it again. Assuming that Pau doesn't miss 10 shots from that 15 foot range that he typically always makes, game 2 should be much more interesting. Also, did anybody else notice all the tweeting by Kobe during the game? Oh that's right, they mentioned it during the game just as frequently as they mentioned anything else!
The Lakers team is backed up against a wall. They have no shot to win a series without Kobe. Everybody knows that. Everybody, but the Lakers. This team still has as much talent as almost anybody in the league. If they can continue to play good defense and make SOME open shots they will be just fine. Don't count out a team that is coached by Mike D'anKOBE. Adjustments will be made and a better team will be there on Wednesday to take on the Spurs. I will never count out the Lakers. Not until the fat lady sings or the Mamba decides to retire.
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