Kobe Bryant Tears His Achilles (4.13.13)

The scene was surreal, a juxtaposition of contradiction.

Kobe Bryant down. Kobe Bryant out. A wounded warrior unable to continue.

In grand terms, a basketball god suffering the fate of a mere mortal.

There he was, crumbling to the floor as he tried to make a routine plant-and-push off of his left foot. With a postseason berth pending, and three and half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of the eightieth game of the season, his body finally broke down as he tore his Achilles tendon.

Seventeen seasons, with the eighteenth uncertain, and the seventeenth a disappointing grade of incomplete. An incomplete that stings even more considering the challenges posed to Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers throughout this season. Injuries have plagued this roster, knocking out key contributors for significant stretches all season long. The rash of injuries, a severely mishandled coaching change, and even the absence and eventual passing of the great Dr. Jerry Buss have led to uneven play and poor results. Despite this, it still comes as a surprise to see Bryant befall the same outcome as his teammates. So often he has been able to just get up and walk it off. Bryant's steadiness on the court kept the season from slipping away, but now, he's the one missing, he's the one who can't contribute.

Coach Kobe will come out, but the player will be unavailable. Whether he would have led them to glory, or gone down in defeat, it doesn't matter. What matters is that now we will never know. We will never know if this roller coaster season would have finished with three loops and a double corkscrew, or just a slight decline that reeks of mediocrity and boredom. For Bryant, the chapter on this season has ended, and there is nothing he can do about it.

While no one has ever defeated Father Time, this just felt different. It felt cheap. Its sudden nature delivered an unexpected punch to the stomach, one that takes your breath away. It leaves you grasping for air, unable to think about anything other than breathing again, when the truth is, you don't know what's coming next. As Bryant clutched his heel, he also clutched his mortality. Although he had already shaken off two separate scares prior in the game, with each involving awkward landings and the pressure they put on his knees, including a hyperextension of one knee, Bryant described the deciding moment as, "I was just hoping it wasn't what I knew it was." An unwilling acceptance of a realized truth.

So was it Father Time that defeated Kobe Bryant? Or how about just a freak accident? Maybe it was fate, a sort of karma police, I'm sure there are many detractors pushing that angle.

Whatever it was, Bryant delivered a season unlike any other in 2012-13, doing things players half his age wish they could do, and performing at a level that no other player with his advanced age and mileage has ever reached. In a season full of amazing performances, Bryant has carried the Lakers on his back by consistently performing as a top five NBA player, and possibly even a top three player behind just LeBron James and Kevin Durant. As recently as two nights prior to his final game of the season, in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers in which he played all 48 minutes despite the game being on the second night of a back-to-back, Bryant delivered an all-time historic performance by becoming the first player in NBA history with at least 47 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and three steals. Such performances throughout this season earned him a fan appointed, and aptly titled nickname of "Vino" due to his stellar progression over time, a graceful aging like a fine wine.

One could argue that Father Time strikes in a similar fashion to Bryant's trademarked "Black Mamba," quickly and deadly, but when looking at Bryant's season as a whole, I'd say it was pretty obvious that he was still winning his battle with Father Time. Father Time may have leveled the playing field, but after seventeen seasons, I'd say that passes as a fair handicap against Kobe Bean Bryant.

Although this injury is serious, especially for an older player such as Bryant who is 34 years old, with his track record, expect to see him ready to go next season. In fact, just this past season, Terrell Suggs, a 30 year old linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, was able to come back from a ruptured Achilles in just six months. Over twenty years ago, Dominique Wilkins ruptured his achilles midway through the 1991-92 season. 'Nique was able to come back in eight months, start 70 games, and average 28.8 points per game in the 1992-93 season at the age of 33, and he followed that up with a 26.3 average the subsequent season. Although Wilkins began to bounce around teams and even play in European leagues as his career dwindled down, he showed as far back as two decades ago that an advanced player can continue to play at a high level despite this injury.

In a mythological sense, Bryant ironically parallels the Greek demigod Achilles. The central character of Homer's Illiad, Achilles was an unbelievable warrior, one that was nearly immortal, save for his left heel. Able to unleash a rage powerful enough to destroy countless adversaries, Achilles excelled in battle and flourished as a Greek hero. However, Achilles' biggest strength also exposed his only weakness, and with each battle, he pushed beyond this vulnerability. One day, mortality finally seized Achilles when Paris was able to shoot an arrow into his heel, the only part of his body that was not lowered into the river Styx and made immortal. This poisoned arrow led to Achilles death, and according to some texts, the arrow was actually guided by the god Apollo, a foe that had been disrespected by Achilles. Brash, confident, and universally feared, Achilles harnessed his powers to become a great warrior, and in doing so, he made countless enemies.

Like Achilles, Bryant has destroyed the competition on countless occasions with his great skill, and an aggressive, unrelenting will that drives him to be the best that he can be. In doing so, Bryant has held himself to a standard that few others can reach. Sometimes, this led to feuds with teammates, management, media, opponents, essentially anybody in his way. Bryant's tactics have polarized the nation for years, and it is clear that he is not a universally beloved figure. Rather, he is a complex character with countless strengths and weaknesses. Successful, yet continually wanting more, Bryant has always lived to fight another day. Unlike Achilles, maybe Bryant will be able to walk this one off... over time.

Like his Nike campaign states, "Count on Kobe."

This is not the end.

It can't be.

It won't be.

He won't let it.

Lakers Defeat Celtics, Dr. Buss Tribute (2.20.13)

Sometimes, a week is just different.

This past Valentine's Day, the Los Angeles Lakers were handily defeated by the Los Angeles Clippers. I attended the game, it was awful. The Clippers are championship contenders, and for true Lakers fans, that reality is quite jarring. It seems like that 2010 championship wasn't all that long ago, but a look at this team and the league nowadays, and it's beginning to look like a relic, a triangular one of sorts.

Following the disappointing Clippers' game, Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant headed out to Houston for All-Star weekend. According to various reports, these two didn't suddenly turn into buddies over the short break. Multiple rumors came out, who knows what is true? This led to all sorts of debate and speculation regarding who leaked what, what it all means, and what's going to happen at the trade deadline.

Then, Dr. Jerry Buss, the greatest owner of any franchise, regardless of sport, lost his battle with cancer, and passed away on February 18th at the age of 80. Dr. Buss hadn't attended a game all season, yet his condition was kept fairly quiet, thus making his passing all the more sudden for the general population. There will never be another Dr. Buss; his presence will be sorely missed.

With the sudden loss, the franchise mourned while also preparing to face the Boston Celtics, a team that handed the Lakers their biggest loss of the season just a couple of weeks ago, and was likely Dr. Buss's least favorite franchise in the NBA. As history would have it, I attended this game as well. With that odd feat, I will likely remember these games with a firm timeline. Namely, one was the final game Dr. Buss would oversee as owner of his beloved Lakers, and the other would mark the first Lakers game without Dr. Buss in over 30 years.

With such a heavy week, here is a quick, light rundown of my thoughts on the Celtics game.

Howard was exceptional against the Celtics. He came out strong with putbacks, dunks, screens, dives, rotations, shot alterations, just everything, even free throws! It was everything that Lakers fans have wanted to see all season long. With 12 points in the first quarter, Howard was a catalyst for the Lakers' impressive 36 point opening quarter.

Howard finished the game with 24 points on 10-13 shooting, along with 12 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block. It's these lines that make Howard so disappointing, because we all know he can dominate like this, but this season, it's been a struggle for him to play well consistently. After an awful game against the Clippers, and a rocky extended break, it was great to see Howard bounce back with a worthy performance. If Howard continues to do all the little things, the Lakers may just do some big things.

Along with Howard's impressive play, Bryant was excellent, in stretches. In the first quarter, Bryant supported Howard with 10 points and two assists. Watching each open with a strong performance was a surprising treat. In the third quarter, Bryant continued his strong play by dishing out four assists and helping the Lakers push the lead to nearly 20 points.

Overall, Bryant's line wasn't great, but in typical Bryant fashion, he was able to grind out the game while leaving a lasting imprint upon the win. For stretches, Bryant made every single right decision and he carried the Lakers. If Howard is able to become a consistent force, these two can go far as a formidable one-two punch.

Lakers win 113-99.

Furthermore, the collective whole of the Lakers really came through against the Celtics. Seven players reached double digits. The defense held the Celtics to just 99 points, a real feat considering Paul Pierce had 23 of the Celtics' 54 points at the half — Pierce finished with just 26 points overall. Also, role players like Earl Clark, Metta World Peace, Steve Blake, Antawn Jamison, and Jodie Meeks each produced solid minutes. World Peace opened with some corner threes, Clark notched a game high 16 rebounds, Blake made plays and hit some shots, Jamison scored at the rim with his keen sense for cutting, and Meeks just played hard and made sure that effort was never an issue.

One final impression. Comparing this game to the Clippers' game is essentially night and day. That performance was about as awful as they come, and it led to a dull crowd that had nothing to cheer for. Against the Celtics, with another national audience, the players responded well, and the crowd poured out support with far greater enthusiasm. "Boston sucks!" along with some "MVP!"'s and even a heartening "Jerry! Jerry!" all contributed to a wonderful Lakers game atmosphere, one that Dr. Buss would have enjoyed.

Overall, the Lakers can do some real damage if they continue to match this effort for the remainder of the season. Maybe it took some grief for the guys to dig in deep. Or maybe it will be just another fluke game.

Whatever the case, I witnessed two polar opposite Lakers' games, and it's all a bit disorienting for just a week's time.

Live Reaction, Lakers Blown Out by Clippers (2.14.13)

What a grand way to celebrate Valentine's Day.

When I purchased tickets this past September to see the Lakers play the Clippers, I definitely thought I'd get a better show than that. I thought I would see marquee players deliver marquee games, instead, I was treated to a one-sided affair that was downright embarrassing from start to finish.

Without taking a look at any of the box score information, let me give you a quick rundown of my thoughts on the game.

First off, what an awful start. The Lakers got down 15-0 right off the bat. The Lakers missed a bunch of wide open three-pointers, and the Clippers seemed to sink just about everything. Blake Griffin was especially hot. I distinctly remember him dominating and finishing the opening quarter with 18 points. Griffin pulled out the full arsenal, with dunks, jumpers, hooks, up and unders, just about everything to make the Lakers' defenders look foolish.

With the Clippers dominating, the crowd was especially dormant in the first quarter. With nothing to cheer for other than a couple of nice plays from Kobe Bryant, I sat in my nosebleeds and wondered how tame we sounded on a national TNT telecast. Speaking of Bryant, he had some memorable moments. It was a joy watching him bully Jamal Crawford and Chauncey Billups in the post, and once Caron Butler was assigned to him, the shoulder chucks and arm locks were in full effect. After serving as the only scoring threat in the first quarter, one that the Lakers lost 31-17, Bryant was covered with a man, and a soft double for the rest of the game. Anytime he caught the ball, the entire defense focused on him, and he tried to make them pay. Bryant repeatedly swung the ball to the open man, yet time after time, the Lakers bricked open shots. Honestly, I don't know how he ended up with 11 assists, I don't recall any buckets going down other than the dunks he spoonfed.

In the second quarter, the bench came in and did a great job. Steve Blake pushed the tempo, and Antawn Jamison seemed to score at the rim whenever he cut. The efforts of those two got the deficit down to just three points with about three minutes remaining in the second quarter. However, once the starters came back in, the Clippers got going again, and they finished on a scorching run to close the quarter, finishing the half ahead 64-52.

Notably absent throughout the big run by the Lakers was Dwight Howard. Simply put, Howard was awful. I watched him gain inside position on numerous rebound attempts, yet he would fail to come up with the board as the ball would bobble off of his hand, or DeAndre Jordan would nudge him and reach over the top, or he would fail to chase it down. It was disheartening. I also watched him bobble passes on the pick and roll. I watched him get owned in the post by some sweet moves from Griffin. I watched him rotate on defense like he was stuck in quicksand. I watched him struggle to seal his man and get good position on the block for easy buckets. I saw him miss gimme buckets at the rim and get swatted by Lamar Odom. I saw it all, live. It's a lot different seeing it live than it is on television. I don't know how to explain it, it just seems more profound.

All I can say is, I hope he is still seriously feeling pain in his back or something, because, I just don't know how to explain his performance. Either he is broken down and his game is never going to be what it once was, or he is playing through some serious pain. It has to be one or the other, and for his sake, and the Lakers' sake, I hope it's the latter.

On a side note, when I first purchased these tickets, I purposely made sure not to even attempt to get any tickets before January. The rumors over the offseason were that Howard wouldn't be ready to play until December, so I figured I would give an extra month or two just in case. Looks like it didn't even matter. I witnessed Andrew Bynum drop his career high, 42 points, on the Clippers just a couple of years ago, and I also saw Bynum get a triple double in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets last season with 10 blocks. Obviously, Bynum is hurt, so it's all for nil, but seeing each of these guys live, Howard sure has a lot of catching up to do.

In the third quarter, the game got out of hand. Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler took turns annihilating the Lakers with bombs from deep. It seemed like they couldn't miss if they tried. It's like that rebounding drill, where your coach shoots threes and attempts to miss on purpose as you battle your teammate for the rebound, except your coach keeps making the shot despite intentionally attempting to miss, and eventually you just have to laugh. It was a lot like that. With those two hitting everything from deep, the deficit reached 20 points, and from there, the game was lost. Actually, let me amend that statement, the game was lost when the Lakers allowed a "poison pill" (scroll to the last paragraph of the link to understand the Lakers' poison pill woes) to start the game, and then continued to allow the Clippers to pile up 30+ point quarters from there on out.

In the fourth quarter, I expected Bryant to get ejected. He got hacked on like three straight possessions, yet he only received the whistle once. He eventually picked up a technical, and once that happened, I figured he was pining to get tossed as the team trailed by over 20 points with six minutes remaining. Bryant eventually was subbed out, and the flag was waived as Robert Sacre and Darrius Morris entered the game.

Lakers lose 125-101.

Overall, the game was a dud, and it wasn't exactly the riveting date I had in mind to celebrate Valentine's Day with my boo. I thought we would be treated to an epic "Battle LA" experience, one that she would remember as a very exciting moment in her life, instead, she looked at me with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter and said, "Are we really going to stay and watch this?". I couldn't help but laugh and give her a kiss. I jokingly replied, "Hey, you know the Lakers are going to cut it down to like five with a minute left and then lose." We ended up staying, and the Lakers didn't get anywhere near pulling off that scenario.

On this Valentine's Day, the Lakers broke my heart. Fortunately, I still have a great girlfriend.

Lakers Crumble, End Grammy Trip with Loss to Heat (2.11.13)

5-2 just looks, and feels, a lot better than 4-3.

With the Lakers fighting for dear life just to gain entry into the postseason, any loss significantly hurts their chances to do so. Currently in 10th place in the Western Conference with a 24-28 record, the Lakers trail the Houston Rockets by three and a half games for the eighth seed, and the Utah Jazz are a full four games ahead for the seventh seed.

5-2 should have been manageable on this "Grammy trip," but coughing up a game against the lowly Phoenix Suns to start the road schedule pretty much ended any hope of that happening. Relative to the type of season the Lakers have had this season, this trip was successful, but in reality, this trip should have closed the gap on the eighth seed, and instead, the Lakers are exactly where they were before the strip started, three and a half games behind the eighth seed.

Playing eight games in 13 days, with seven consecutive games on the road, probably didn't help the Lakers' chances, but this is the hole they have dug themselves in, and now it is time for them to buck up and survive. Metta World Peace gave the best sound bite following the game against the Heat, stating, "Going 4-3 on a seven-game road trip is successful for losers, [a 4-3 record is] successful for people who think of us as a losing team. It's successful for losing minds, not successful for winning minds." I couldn't have said it better myself, the Lakers had a chance to make a real dent in the standings with a realistic opportunity to go 6-1, instead they barely came out ahead.

After starting the first of those seven road games with a collapsing loss to the Suns, the season defining stretch certainly got off on the wrong foot. The Lakers followed that up by building a 29-point lead against the Timberwolves, only to see it collapse to four points with five minutes remaining in regulation. The Lakers fought off the comeback, but for the second straight game, they collapsed in the fourth quarter. Then came an unnecessarily close game against the Pistons on Super Bowl Sunday. The Lakers scraped by for a one point win despite Earl Clark and Steve Nash missing four straight free throws in the final sixteen seconds, allowing the Pistons one final chance, and a darn good attempt at a game winning alley oop dunk.

Following this bumpy opening, the Lakers pulled out their finest victory of the trip, a win against the Nets sans Dwight Howard, Metta World Peace, and Pau Gasol (tore his plantar fascia with four minutes remaining in a close game). Following the injury to Gasol, Kobe Bryant shamed Howard into playing through his shoulder pain, and the Lakers were destroyed by the Celtics for their worst loss of the season, a 21-point drubbing. Howard was a tentative non-factor, and it was clear that he was not ready to play in that game. The Lakers followed that up the very next night with a pathetic performance against the Bobcats in which they got down by 20 points with 17 minutes remaining in the game before rallying and pulling out a seven point win. With such roller coaster performances, the Lakers hoped to close out the Grammy trip with a defining win against the Miami Heat.

With three quarters of solid play behind them, it looked like the Lakers might actually sneak out of Miami with a win. Strong performances from Bryant, Nash, Howard, and Clark kept the Lakers within striking distance — of the four, only Clark failed to shoot above 50% from the field in the first three quarters — and the Lakers only trailed 73-78 entering the fourth quarter. In fact, that deficit should have been even less, but a costly mistake allowed LeBron James to end the third quarter with a free throw, a miss that led to a tap out by the wily Shane Battier, and a dagger three-pointer from James in the final seconds. Battier's tap out capped off a disappointing rebounding performance for the Lakers in the third quarter — the Heat were able to produce 10 points off of six offensive rebounds in the third quarter.

Despite the rebounding woes, things were looking good. As a whole, the Lakers only had six turnovers entering the fourth quarter — a phenomenal success considering the Heat's stellar defense, and the Lakers' high amount of turnovers this season (sixth highest average in the NBA). Back to back turnovers from Howard early in the fourth quarter foreshadowed things to come, but a Jodie Meeks three-pointer that put the Lakers down just one, 81-82, with 8:47 remaining in regulation, certainly inspired hope. From there, the Lakers crumbled with numerous mental lapses as the Heat turned up the defensive pressure.

In that final eight minute stretch, the Heat forced six steals. The Lakers, namely Bryant, had success in the first three quarters by attacking the baseline and either scoring, finding cutters in the lane, or kicking out for a three-pointer — Bryant entered the fourth quarter with seven assists. However, in the fourth quarter, the Heat began crashing the paint and cutting off those passing angles. Bryant especially struggled with this adjustment, and he was forced into consecutive turnovers on the baseline at the six minute mark. Bryant finished the game with four turnovers, and three of them came in that final eight minute stretch. Although Bryant finished the game with a stellar line of 28 points on 11-19 shooting, with six rebounds, nine assists, and a steal, I'm sure that he would like a redo on those consecutive possessions. Antawn Jamison, Clark, and Nash also gave away a possession in that eight minute stretch.

With the Lakers wasting possessions with turnovers, the Heat capitalized with buckets on three of the six steals, with each score coming in transition for a tally of six points. With LeBron James throwing down two vicious slams, and Dwyane Wade hitting a pull up jumper, the Heat gained all of the momentum as the Lakers came up empty.

The first slam started with Wade cutting off the baseline, stealing a skip pass from Bryant, tiptoeing the baseline, and saving the ball by tossing it back in play just before falling out of bounds. Chris Bosh caught the ball, sent the outlet to Norris Cole, and Cole let the ball fly into the air for James to throw down with two hands as Nash ran out of the way. This put the Heat up 84-91 at the 5:58 mark.

The next slam featured a lazy entry pass over the top from Nash to Bryant that James was able to intercept and take the distance without any resistance. With the Red Sea parting as neither Nash nor Clark wanted anything to do with the ensuing poster, James threw down a monster one handed dunk before scowling on his way back down the court. This put the Heat up 88-97 at the 3:25 mark.

With the sixth turnover of the eight minute stretch coming from Bryant at the 2:30 mark, the Heat were able to push the lead to 90-102, essentially sealing the game. In the end, the Heat won 97-107.

Similar to the last game the Lakers played against the Heat, the Lakers had their chances late in the ball game, and they came up short. That nine point loss was tied up with just over two minutes remaining in the game. This 10 point loss was within seven points from the 7:15 mark to the 3:03 mark in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers just couldn't close the gap. Strong games against the world champion Miami Heat are encouraging, but encouraging doesn't equal wins, and right now, that is what the Lakers need the most. With two more games before the All-Star break, the Lakers are guaranteed to be under .500 despite having Bryant and Howard start for the Western Conference squad.

The Lakers are in a world of hurt, and there isn't a single easy way out. With a depleted front line that has Gasol out for at least six weeks, Jordan Hill out for the season, and Howard battling a torn labrum that will bother him until he undergoes surgery, the Lakers' biggest strength heading into the season, size, is now their biggest weakness. With Robert Sacre as the only big man available after Howard, the Lakers have been going small, deciding to keep Sacre on the bench, and instead rolling with a rotation of World Peace, Clark, and Jamison sharing minutes at power forward, and sometimes, the center position. Any time Howard goes out of the game, the opponent attacks the rim, and usually finds an easy bucket or an offensive rebound.

Despite this crazy season of instability, the Lakers have to keep grinding away, and if they keep at it, it looks like a down year for the Western Conference may give them a shot at the postseason. For the past five seasons, 48 wins has been the average amount of wins for the eighth seed in the West. There is no way the Lakers will win 48 games this season. Fortunately, this season, 43 wins may be the lucky number for that final playoff spot. The Jazz and Rockets each have 28 wins so far, but one of them is likely to slide — my pick is the Jazz, especially if they shake up their roster with a trade before the deadline. With 30 games remaining in the regular season, the Lakers would have to go 19-11 to finish with 43 wins, a .633 winning percentage.

Fortunately, the Lakers have a precedent for that type of winning percentage. In the D'Antoni era, the Lakers are 11-6 in games in which they don't give up a "poison pill," good for a .647 winning percentage. A poison pill occurs when Lakers allow the opponent to score thirty or more points in a single quarter. These quarters usually steamroll the Lakers, and they all but guarantee defeat, evidenced by the Lakers' 8-17 record in the D'Antoni era when they give up a poison pill. On the Grammy trip, the Lakers only allowed two of their seven opponents to produce a poison pill (the Bobcats and the Celtics), so there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. If the Lakers keep up their defensive efforts, they should be successful. If they don't, well, we already know what will happen if they don't.

Bryant Questions Howard, Leads Victory Over Nets (2.5.13)

My freshman year of college, I was introduced to a particular phrase that essentially shamed me into manning up and doing what was necessary.

That particular phrase was, "Don't be a bitch, do it right now!" Peer pressure at its finest. It was often yelled into my ear by my roommate, Matt. Even worse, once Matt uttered that phrase, the entire room would chant it until the desired action was completed. Similar to one Slayer fan yelling out, "Slayer!" followed by any Slayer fan within earshot also yelling out, "Slayer!" this phrase would induce a chain reaction. 10 people pounding on a table and yelling, "Don't be a bitch, do it right now!" was enough of a motivator for me, or anyone else. While playing games of land mines and pyramids, drinking games that would often make me regret my actions, that phrase would become a landmark.

My most memorable game of pyramids would be the first time I went on a road trip with Matt up to Lodi in Northern California. We decided to visit a friend of his about a week or so before our sophomore year at UCSB. While there, we eventually played a game of pyramids. I was informed the next day that soon after I left the room for a final bathroom break before the game started, Matt, a cunning individual, decided to inform the other four players to assign all of their drinks to me. Let's just say, I drank a copious amount of beer that night, and I felt absolutely horrible the following morning. What made me gut through it and not quit on the game? "Don't be a bitch, do it right now!" My pride was on the line, and I was not going to wimp out in front of four people I had never met before that night.

While my drinking tales from college certainly don't give me any right to question Dwight Howard's toughness, a certain quote from Kobe Bryant surely does. With Pau Gasol likely out for a month — or even the rest of the season — after possibly tearing his fascia against the Brooklyn Nets this past Tuesday, Bryant stated, "I'm very, very concerned to say the least." Bryant followed that statement with a challenge to Howard, stating, "He's probably worried about the damage in his shoulder. I don't think he's ever had to play through injuries in his career. I think it's a new experience for him."

Elaborating on the statement, Bryant continued, "When I was growing up, going through high school and middle school, unfortunately, but fortunately, I dealt with injuries. Not injuries that were debilitating, but injuries you have to play through where you have to manage the pain. When you go through those things, you learn your body and what you can push through." Sounds an awful lot like a certain mantra pointed at me, doesn't it? Different words, same message. Bryant wants Howard to gut through the pain. As NFL players always state, there's a difference between being hurt, and being injured.

Bryant continued, "But Dwight has never been hurt. The [back injury last season] was debilitating and he couldn't play. When you have an injury that hurts you, but you can play through it, that's something you have to balance out and manage, and he's never really had to do that."

Well, now, Howard has to do that. While on his recent ESPN crusade, Howard sounded an awful lot like someone with one foot out the door. While giving statements like, "There's no need for a circus," Howard wouldn't give a definitive statement regarding his offseason uncertainty. Listen, we all know it is best for Howard's sake to wait until the offseason and then sign with the Lakers in order to receive a maximum contract deal, however, it sure would be nice if Howard gave any sort of indication that he actually wants to play for a franchise that has the second most championships in NBA history. Instead, Howard gives statements such as, "Getting to the playoffs, and winning to the championship," as his goal for this season, yet he counters that sentiment with, "I don't want to have this happen every week or two to where I'm fine and then I take a hard hit and I reaggravate it."

Well, which is it? Are you committed to winning, or are you worried about getting injured and not landing that maximum contract? I think it's pretty clear. Howard is consumed with his own personal future. Howard's torn labrum injury is something that can be played with. It is an injury that will be a problem until he has surgery and recovers. What does he expect? Does he think he can rest a few games and then be healthy? Seriously, what is going through this guy's head? This torn labrum injury isn't going anywhere, and if the Lakers, winners of six of the last seven games, have any shot at the postseason, and a deep run from there, Howard needs to play, especially if Gasol is out for an extended period. Howard is going to get paid no matter what, so he might as well suck it up and play. With the Lakers three games under .500, and 3.5 games behind the 8th seed Houston Rockets, Howard's talent is a necessity for this team to avoid the label of "Biggest Failure in NBA History." 

For further proof, take a look at Bryant. Bryant led the Lakers to victory against the Nets on Tuesday despite playing with a sprained elbow on his shooting arm. Bryant spoke of numbness throughout his arm, especially after he turned back the clock and dunked over Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries with just just under three minutes remaining in the game to give the Lakers a two point lead. Despite the injury, Bryant gutted it out and led the Lakers to an impressive 92-83 victory on the road without Howard, a suspended Metta World Peace, and Gasol (in the final minutes). 

Even further, Bryant has played with Howard's injury! Howard certainly doesn't want to hear it, even scoffing at the notion with the statement, "Me and Kobe play two different positions, the position I play, I use a lot of force coming up." Howard continues his statement, but it's a bunch of excuses. Want to know what Bryant did with his torn labrum? He injured it on this ridiculous dunk in Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first round of the playoffs in 2003. For the next seven games, Bryant played with the injury, and he averaged 32.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on 44.9% shooting from the field and 41.5% from deep. That postseason, the Lakers came within one Robert Horry three-point shot of possibly four-peating. Instead, the Lakers lost in six games to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in the second round, and Bryant sat on the bench in the closing minutes with tears in his eyes. 

While seven games is nowhere near the amount of games Howard will have to gut through, it's clear that Bryant was willing to give his all for a chance to win the title. Once the season ended, Bryant underwent surgery on his torn labrum. Obviously, Bryant feels that Howard should take the same route.

So what is Howard's plan? If he doesn't want to get hurt any further, then go under the knife and get it over with. Otherwise, play through the pain. Bryant did it, and if you are committed to this team, then you must do it. Bryant certainly expects so, as does all of Los Angeles. Howard is going to get paid a fat contract no matter what happens, so he might as well play. 

My tales of drinking certainly don't qualify my opinion, but the message sent from my friends mirrors the sentiment held inside the Lakers' locker room. Essentially, that message is a catch phase that has been attached to the greatest athletes of all-time, "Just do it." 

Howard has been told that he can't structurally injure the labrum any further, so pain tolerance is the only issue. Bryant spoke of playing with pain in his middle school days, Howard is unwilling to play with pain as a multi-millionaire in the NBA. What more can you say?

Play the role of returning hero, Dwight, it'd be a nice change. Los Angeles wants to embrace you, Kobe wants to hand the franchise to you, give us, give him, give the Lakers a chance.

Lakers Start Grammy Trip With Loss to Suns (1.31.12)

What an odd week it has been for the Los Angeles Lakers.

A three game home stand saw Kobe Bryant reinvent himself as a triple-double threat, including an especially surprising ability to facilitate in spectacular fashion. Bryant dished out 39 assists in three games, his highest cumulative total in such a span throughout his 17 seasons of NBA play. Bryant also gobbled up 26 rebounds in this stretch to go along with his 49 total points on just 34 shot attempts. With Bryant controlling the tempo and setting up his teammates, the Lakers began winning ball games, going 3-0 at home.

Starting against the Utah Jazz, and continuing against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New Orleans Hornets, the team began to give maximum effort on both sides of the ball. Dwight Howard may have played his best game as a Laker against the Jazz by playing stellar defense and throwing down four monster alley oops. Then Bryant turned in a classic performance against the Thunder by dishing out 14 assists and finishing the game in Mamba mode by hitting clutch buckets in the final minutes. Topping it off was a 20 point, 12 rebound performance on 8-11 shooting, including 4-5 from deep, from Earl Clark against the Hornets.

Throughout this bizarro world time frame, Bryant primarily led the charge by playing the point and initiating numerous screen rolls. With Bryant on the ball and picking apart the defense, Steve Nash played off the ball and turned into a catch and shoot threat. Nash is one of the greatest pick and roll artists in NBA history, but his threat as a career 42.8% three-point shooter allowed greater floor spacing for Bryant to drive and dump, kick, or score. With defenses unable to leave Nash, Bryant was given numerous options with a great amount of space. With Nash and Bryant playing opposite roles, the Lakers averaged 106 points per game, about four points higher than their season average.

Even more bizarre, the Lakers overcame two poison pills in the three games. The Lakers held the Jazz without a 30+ point quarter, but against the Thunder and the Hornets, the Lakers surprisingly overcame these failure prognosticating quarters. The Thunder dropped 30 on the Lakers in the second quarter, but the Lakers only allowed 23 in the first, 22 in the third, and an impressive 21 in the fourth en route to the 96-105 victory. That 30 point quarter should have spelled disaster, but the Lakers were able to dig in and pull out a victory against the best record in the NBA. Then, against the Hornets, the Lakers allowed multiple poison pills, as the Hornets put on a furious rally in the second half with a 31 point third quarter, and a 33 point fourth quarter. Despite nearly blowing an 18-point lead, the Lakers held on and won 106-111.

So, riding a three game winning streak, and essentially entering the make-or-break portion of the schedule with seven upcoming road games due to the Grammy's taking place at Staples Center, you would figure the Lakers would take care of the lowly 15-30 Phoenix Suns, right? 

Wrong.

Despite leading 78-65 with 10:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Lakers blundered away the game with turnovers, a four minute scoring drought, and missed shots. As this happened, Michael Beasley decided to go into beast mode and score 10 fourth quarter points, including two go-ahead buckets with the score tied in the final two minutes. 

Oh, and let's not forget that Dwight Howard injured his shoulder, again. Remember in the preseason when Howard, in an asinine attempt to distance himself from Shaquille O'Neal's moniker of "Superman," anointed himself "Iron Man"? What a joke. He ripped off O'Neal, and then he failed to know enough about the Lakers' history that he ripped off A.C. Green, a Lakers' great that played in 1,192 consecutive games.

Anyways, Howard is no "Iron Man." With 6:56 remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers leading 78-73, Howard grabbed an offensive rebound, and as he went up with the ball, Shannon Brown (a memorable, former Laker) swatted down with two hands and stripped the ball from Howard. Howard instantly felt the pain in his injured shoulder, and he had to sit out the rest of the game due to his right labrum injury. I'm not questioning Howard's toughness, because a torn labrum is definitely a problem for a basketball player, I'm just pointing out that Howard is not an "Iron Man." Oh, and it would help if Howard kept the ball up high in the chest area like they teach big men at the high school level. Yeah, that simple fundamental aspect would help. In fact, the past two times Howard has aggravated the injury, he had the ball low, and he was stripped by a guard. 

Moving on, Howard's absence isn't to blame for the loss. Even with Howard on the floor for most of this stretch, from the 9:59 mark to the 6:08 mark, the Lakers didn't score a single point. Not a field goal. Not a free throw. Nothing. This stretch featured two turnovers and nine missed shots. The worst culprit of this stretch would have to be the five bricks Metta World Peace laid, with most of the attempts wide open.

Following World Peace's struggles, Bryant finally got the Lakers on the board with a jumper at the 6:07 mark. From there, Bryant would struggle to carry the team. Abandoning the pick and roll success of the first three quarters, and the three prior games, the Lakers began going to Bryant in isolation sets. Bryant shot just 1-4 from isolation sets in the fourth quarter, and just 2-7 for six points and two turnovers in the final 6:56 — the other Lakers shot 0-3 in this final stretch, with Gasol scoring two points off of free throws. To top it off, Bryant missed a left handed layup that would have tied the game at 88-88 with 23 seconds remaining in the game. Instead, the ball had a bit too much oomph, and it rolled off the front of the rim and allowed the Suns to hit some free throws and win 86-92. 

I can't explain why the Lakers abandoned the pick and roll late in the game. It may have been due to numerous wide open bricks from the weak side, namely World Peace and his 3-10 shooting from deep. Earl Clark was no better with his 1-4 from deep. Even Nash shot 1-4 from deep. And Bryant himself was 0-3 from deep. It also could have been a function of the five turnovers in the quarter, with D'Antoni favoring just getting the ball to Bryant in isolations and not having to worry about moving the ball around.

Overall, Bryant scored six of the Lakers final eight points, but his inability to find teammates for easy buckets truly hurt the team. Bryant finished the game with nine assists — pushing his mark to a career-high 48 assists in a four game stretch — yet none came in the fourth quarter. Whatever the case, the Lakers scored just 13 fourth quarter points. Yes, 13.

Meanwhile, the Suns poured in 29 fourth quarter points as Beasley carried them with clutch buckets all up in World Peace's grill, including an impressive off hand layup that gave the Suns an 86-88 lead with 43 seconds remaining in regulation. Despite playing solid defense for much of the game, the Lakers allowed the Suns to finish the game on a 19-6 run in the final 5:09. Howard's absence was obviously a factor, but the Suns did hit four jumpers in that stretch for nine points, while six points came from layups, and four points came from the line.

It's a loss like this that may be the deciding factor as to whether the Lakers make the playoffs. 20 turnovers against a middling defense is unacceptable. Shooting 8-27 (29.6%) from downtown just won't get it done. Having just one Laker top 50% shooting isn't efficient enough. Six turnovers from Bryant, and four from Gasol, are far too many. With six more road games on this Grammy trip against very winnable teams, the Lakers need to go 6-0 just to get to .500 at 26-26. Facing the Timberwolves, Pistons, Nets, Celtics, Bobcats, and Heat, a 4-2 closeout is more likely, but I figured the Lakers would destroy the Suns, so who knows.

Sitting a full four games behind the Rockets for the eighth seed, and five games behind the Jazz for the seventh seed, the 20-26 Lakers can't waste any more opportunities, and their 5-16 road record doesn't boast any confidence. In fact, the Lakers finished the month of January with an 0-7 road record, marking the first time in the history of the franchise that the team finished with an 0-7 or worse road record in a full calendar month.

With just 36 games remaining this season, each mounting loss spells a postseason drought. Needing at least 25 more wins to have a chance at the postseason with a 45-37 record by season's end, the Lakers must go 25-11 in the final 36 games. Such a mark isn't impossible, but with the Lakers blowing games this season against the Mavericks, Kings, Magic, Cavaliers, Sixers, Raptors, and Suns, all teams below .500, I can't say this Lakers team has instilled any sort of consistent play that warrants my belief in their ability to turn this season around. I can hope, but I need to see results. 

You know what may be the most damning fact of the season? 22 players this season have either set a season-high or a career-high in a specific category against the Lakers in just 36 games, and seven opposing teams have set a high mark as well, whether it is points in a quarter, most field goals at the rim, or most points in transition. 12 of those 22 player highs came in the points department, with Beasley's performance as the newest addition with his season-high of 27 points on an efficient 12-20 shooting, including 1-1 from deep and 2-3 from the line. Add in his six rebounds, one assist, and five steals, and it's clear that the Lakers allow players to blow up on them far too often.

To come full circle with the odd factor, despite not allowing the Suns to produce a poison pill quarter, the Lakers lost. After winning two poison pill games in a row against the Thunder and Hornets, the Lakers are now 7-16 in poison pill games, and due to this loss against the Suns, 8-5 in non-poison pill games throughout the D'Antoni era. What a weird week. 

Three weeks ago, this team had no shot at the postseason. Then, this past week, the Lakers instilled some hope. Now, I just don't know how to feel. I have a suspicion that my uncertainty is likely no different from what's taking place inside the Lakers' locker room, especially with Howard's availability up in the air.

Bryant and Howard Unite to Lead Lakers Past Jazz (1.26.13)

I guess it's true, a happy Dwight Howard is a dominant Dwight Howard. Fresh off of his statement, "Negativity is just not good," Howard turned in his finest performance in a Lakers uniform against the Utah Jazz on Friday night, a performance that may serve as a stepping stone in turning this disastrous season around.

It wasn't just the 17 points, 13 rebounds, one assist, two steals, two blocks, and just one turnover, throw all of that out. Those are just numbers. It was the effort. It was the athleticism. It was the willingness to accept a role. It wasn't demanding post-ups on the box. It wasn't saying, "Look at the stat sheet." It was altering shots on the defensive end time and again. It was rotating from the weak side to the strong side to poke away entry passes, or to trap a man, or to help a beat teammate. It was fronting a beast like Al Jefferson, and then working to get inside position once the shot went up in order to secure the rebound. It was holding Jefferson to 12 points on 5-14 shooting and just seven rebounds. It was setting hard picks and rolling to the basket with authority. It was skying over the defense to throw down alley oop slams. It was accepting a defensive first mentality, and understanding that the scoring will come if he just does the little things and plays hard.

Case in point, Howard scored 17 points on 8-12 shooting, while shooting 1-3 from the line. Six of Howard's eight made shots were spoon-fed at the rim, with four monster alley oop dunks, and two layups due to drop offs. His two other baskets featured a putback following an offensive rebound, and a traditional post up shot from seven feet. This should be a typical Howard game. Instead of traditional post ups that lead to strips in the lane, and intentional fouls that yield missed free throws, Howard can have a tremendous impact simply by utilizing his athleticism and rolling hard to the rim. Doing so will either lead to slam dunks, catch and kicks, or collapsing defensive shells that will open up open three-point opportunities for his teammates. Abandoning post ups altogether isn't necessary, but utilizing Howard's greatest advantage, athleticism, will surely lead to success.

Speaking of three-pointers, the Lakers shot 9-21 (42.9%) from deep. With Kobe Bryant adopting the role of point guard and initiating pick and rolls all game long, the Jazz defense was forced to contend with Bryant getting to his sweet spots at the elbow, Howard rolling to the rim, and shooters on the opposite wing and corner. Other than Howard, who made four buckets on assists from Bryant, the biggest benefactor from Bryant initiating the offense was Metta World Peace. World Peace sank 5-11 three-pointers on the night, with most of them coming wide open in the corner following a Bryant pick and roll. In fact, four of World Peace's makes from deep were assisted by Bryant. Bryant also assisted Chris Duhon for a three, giving Bryant a direct hand in five of the nine makes from downtown.

Taking the load off of Steve Nash, and presenting more of a scoring threat with the ball in his hands, Bryant turned in a spectacular game with 14 points on 7-10 shooting (no attempts from deep) to go along with his nine rebounds, 14 assists, three steals, one block, and just three turnovers. With Bryant assuming a playmaker identity and opening the game with four assists in the opening five minutes, including two alley oop lobs to Howard for monster slams, the Jazz had no answer. If they didn't hedge, Bryant would turn the corner as a scoring threat with options in the lane. If they did hedge, Bryant would find Howard on the roll or Pau Gasol on the slip. If they trapped, Bryant would swing the ball to Nash or World Peace for a three at the wing or corner.

At one point in the third quarter, Bryant dished out an assist on four consecutive possessions — a three for Duhon, two threes for World Peace, and a layup for Jodie Meeks. Essentially, Bryant was unstoppable running the pick and roll, and it may become a staple in this offense for select stretches throughout the rest of the season. With teams fearing to leave Nash, a career 42.8% shooter from deep, Bryant will have plenty of room to operate while assessing numerous options. Dropping 14 dimes, Bryant finished one short of tying his career high — 15 back in '02 when he dropped a triple-double all over Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards.

With Bryant turning in his most unselfish game of the season, it's clear that he wants to make sure that the Lakers as a whole get rolling. Amid team meetings and the blame game, Bryant understands that he can't carry the Lakers all by himself. In turn, five Lakers scored in the range of 14-17 points against the Jazz. Howard and World Peace led the way with 17 apiece, Nash and Gasol turned in 15, and Bryant scored 14. Fourth on the team with just 10 shots, Bryant took what the defense gave him and shared the basketball. An offensive balance of this nature is surely difficult to defend, and it fosters a sense of unity both offensively and defensively.

Contributing to the success on the offensive end of the floor seemed to spurn the defensive efforts of certain Lakers (cough, cough, Howard). Case in point, the Jazz, winners of eight of their last ten games heading into the game, shot just 34-81 (42%) from the field, and just 3-14 (21.4%) from deep en route to just 84 points (14 points below their season average). With Howard's energy, athleticism, and protection in the paint, the guards were able to hound the ball handler with the understanding that Howard had their back. Pressure, rotations, and overall effort were considerably greater against the Jazz.

Furthermore, the Jazz didn't burn the Lakers with a "poison pill" quarter. With outputs of 19, 18, 26, and 21 in each quarter, the Jazz didn't pour in 30 or more points in a single quarter like so many teams have done against the Lakers this season. With this win, the Lakers snapped an abysmal four game losing streak, and the D'Antoni era Lakers are now 5-16 in poison pill games, and 8-4 in non-poison pill games.

With 39 games remaining in the season, the Lakers sit in 11th place in the Western Conference with an 18-25 record, five games behind the Jazz, and four behind the Houston Rockets for the seventh and eight seed. One can only hope that stringing together a streak of non-poison pill games along with strong team play will surely get the Lakers back on track for the playoffs. A .667 win percentage is a hell of a lot better than .238 (8-4 vs 5-16). Likely needing to reach at least 45 wins for a possible playoff berth, a 27-12 record to close the season will require a .692 win percentage. If the Lakers keep up the defensive intensity, and continue to play balanced basketball, maybe reaching 45 wins won't be as impossible as it looked just a couple days ago.