Kobe's back injury in game four opened the door for ton of speculation. The fact the ABC7 reported that Kobe "couldn't stand up on the plane" didn't help much.
Throughout his career, Kobe has been known to suck it up--and he'll do just that on Wednesday: Kobe Bryant met the media Monday with a new companion - an electronic stimulating device hooked up to his sore lower back.
Plans call for the two to spend a lot of time together for the next couple of days, or longer.
The
Los Angeles Lakers' star tweaked his back in the opening minutes of
Sunday's 123-115 overtime loss at Utah that tied the Western Conference
semifinals 2-2.
"It's pretty sore right now," Bryant said Monday.
"It's tight. It's to be expected the next day, I guess. I don't know
how I made it through the game, to be honest with you."
Bryant said he was receiving treatment around the clock.
"Secret stuff," he replied with a smile when asked to be specific about the treatment.
Regarding the electronic stimulating device, Bryant said he had slept with it on Sunday night.
"It cuts down the pain," he said. "How, I don't know."...
"I'll be ready to play. I can't imagine it being any worse than it was last night." [Fox Sports]
I'm sure Vic The Brick will be equipped with some cool words for Kobe before the game.
Moving onto things of lesser importance (though they sure could use some defense right now), Trevor Ariza has been cleared by a second physician:
Hoopsworld has learned that Trevor Ariza of the Los Angeles Lakers has been cleared by a second independent doctor. Sidelined for months with a broken foot, Ariza has now sought out two additional opinions hoping to get back on the floor to help the team in its ongoing playoff run.
The Lakers' physician has been conservative as Ariza's CT Scan still shows a line on the bone which is normally interpreted as an unhealed fracture.
Ariza recently saw a doctor in Utah who postulated that the bone has indeed healed and that the line may never fully disappear.
The recent third opinion concurred which sends the ultimate decision to the Lakers who are inherently conservative when it comes to long term health of their players. To date they haven't been willing to put Ariza in harm's way, even for the ongoing playoff push. [Hoopsworld]
That's the scoop for now. Game five is on Wednesday. I'd call it a must-win. The Lakers definitely DO NOT want to face elimination at EnergySolutions in game six, so I'm calling Wednesday the game of the series.
I have heard the same thing I hope he gets out there, assuming he is in relatively good shape, he improves the lakers so much first by getting Vlad out of the game, and limiting lukes minutes, but also what he gives in athleticism, defense and hustle. He really excels in the triangle as well, he honestly could be the difference.
Tim,
I sure hope you are right about Ariza because I as a Laker fan think they need his defensive skills. Especialy when we don't know how this back injury will effect Kobe come Wed. I sure noticed last game that Brewer was able to get some ally's and easy baskets because Kobe couldn't move good enough to play D.
Hoffman,
I have to disagree with you on V0Rad. He is playing poorly in my honest opinion. Luke on the other hand is not playing like he did a season ago but is playing descent enough to get some minutes.
Sizzle,
Bynum isn't coming back this season. No way,no how so you can just give up that wishful thought until next year.
It would be nice to have him back, but I'm not sure how much of an impact he can make after being out so long. Knowing Phil, he won't get much court time regardless. We have a similar defensive minded player that doesn't get off the pine right now....Ira Newble.
It would be nice to have someone...ANYONE!, guard Okur on the perimeter. How many wide open threes does he have to hit before the Lakers decide to stay with him??
Luke seems like the more pressure the worse he does.
Ariza might not help much diff for many minutes but spot duty here and there could make a difference in a basket or two the Jazz don't get and if we had had that it would have been a sweep.
What about Ira Newble isn't he supposed to be pretty good defensively? They should try and get him to guard Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur or AK-47. He should start game 5.
Last edited by Ubershorty on May 13th at 11:32 AM.
Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm not saying he's goiong to make a huge impact right away, but I've been following his recovery for months now, and I have to say, this is the most positive news as of late. I highly doubt he'll make an impact, but getting Trevor in the mix at home will definitely get the crowd going... plus we all know the kind of player he is.
Goodtimes, what about the flub on the jump ball in game three. Anyway, When he blew that layup, it was UGLY. That could have been a game-breaking two points, and to go up with it with such a lack of confidence... c'mon. I don't want to bash Walton too much, but judging by way he played in the first series, I think more is expected of him. He scored 16,18,15, and 7 in the first round, and granted it was against a lesser opponent, Luke showed what he can do.
I'm a realistic observer of the vast world that surrounds the Los Angeles Lakers. You can thank Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones, Elden Campbell, Cedric Ceballos, and Vlade Divac for making that possible. The greatest person of all time is Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn. There's no getting around that. Me? I'm eighteen years old and working my way to a journalism degree.
