Kobe tore ligament in pinky finger. Requires surgery and 6 weeks for recovery.

[westkoast]

FRANs!  A new and accurate accronym is born.

and don't feel bad FRANs, Jomal would respond as much as you do if he only had the stamina.

TBYP > FRANs

lol @ you taking JoMaL's backhanded comment as you getting props.

[Lurker]

John Hollinger's take on the surgery question...

Kobe needs knife nowposted: Friday, February 15, 2008  |  Feedback  |  Print Entry


I have some unsolicited advice for Kobe Bryant: Get the surgery.

If you want to win a championship, it's your only option.

Don't be a hero and try to play with your injured right pinkie. While I admire your willingness to play hurt, I saw you try to play with the bad digit in Atlanta last week and you were as ineffective as I've ever seen you: 4-of-16 from the field, 3-of-5 from the line, for just 11 points. If you do that for the next six-to-eight weeks, you might help the Lakers win a few more games than they would have otherwise. But there's no way you're leading a team to the promised land in that condition.

I know you've played better in the four games since the Atlanta game, but given how much you handle the ball and how often you go to the basket, it's inevitable that you'll be hit on that pinkie finger. Again and again and again. And every time, you'll be back to square one.

If winning a championship is the goal, then there's only way to do it, Mr. Mamba. Sit out these next six weeks and hope your supporting cast is good enough to get into the postseason. If they aren't, you weren't going to win a championship anyway. If they are, then it doesn't matter where you're seeded -- with you and Andrew Bynum back in the lineup, you'll be the team to beat in the Western Conference playoffs.

Keep in mind that your team doesn't need to do all that well without you in order to make the postseason. The Hollinger Playoff Odds project 48 wins will be required in the West; if the Lakers go 13-17 in their final 30 games they'll finish 48-34. Anything better than that and a playoff berth looks certain.

With a lineup of Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Ronny Turiaf and a deep bench behind it, it sure seems they could play .500 ball over those 30 games; consider that Gasol won 50, 45 and 49 games with roughly equivalent talent around him in Memphis. Consider, too, that they have 17 of those 30 games at home, and 14 against teams with losing records.

The alternative is playing with a bad finger. You might help them win a few more regular-season games and get a higher seeding, but you'll likely be in no position to lift the team past the likes of the Spurs and Jazz in the postseason.

So which would you rather do? Play with a bad finger and lose in the second round? Or get the surgery and risk missing the playoffs for a chance to win the title?

It's an easy call, right?

[JoMal]

Okay, here is what I would do if I found out that my team had a chance of facing the Lakers in the playoffs, and Kobe opts to try to play with this injury until then. I would lay off of him during the season, but once the post season started, I would have every guy on my team start to slap the hell out of Kobe's hands.

He would serve his team much better by getting the problem fixed now, trust that Jackson and his teammates can do well enough without him for six weeks, then come back strong in the post season, at full strength.

This macho junk about playing through the injury is stupid.

[msc]

I agree with Hollinger and JoMal. 

As exited I am to see the Lakers coming back around to a team that competes in the playoffs, I don't see them winning it this year anyway.  Kobe should just get it fixed now and focus on getting 100% for the future.   

[westkoast]

I agree with Hollinger and JoMal. 

As exited I am to see the Lakers coming back around to a team that competes in the playoffs, I don't see them winning it this year anyway.  Kobe should just get it fixed now and focus on getting 100% for the future.   

I disagree with all of you (jomal, msc, and john hollinger yea I know he doesn't post here) for a few reasons:

1) Its very painful to agree with JoMaL on anything...even if he said the sky was blue  jk

2) The Lakers are finally starting to click as a unit.  The chemistry is there, Pau is just getting use to playing with the guys and specifically Kobe if Kobe left his role would change and he would have to readjust again, and they are getting a swagger to them.  They sort of lost the swagger/attitude when Bynum went down and I think if Kobe went down they would lose it again.  You can't wait until Kobe comes back to work on it again.  That mentality HAS to be there going into the playoffs if they want to have an edge.  After this road trip they finally got the mentality that good teams have, which is they should win every night and want to win every night.  That mentality is still new to them and I rather see them get use to it rather then lose it after losing their best player.

3) The West is super close and regardless of Pau won 50 games with a lesser squad years ago...this year in the West the Lakers could easily miss home court advantage and if things went real bad miss the playoffs altogether.  This isn't 2004.  The West is PACKED.  I still believe this squad needs home court advantage in the earlier rounds to be successful.  They are not a playoff tested team yet and any boost they can get, they need.

4) 6 weeks is stated but thats IF everything works out fine.  Thats IF he rehabs perfectly.  They said 8 weeks with Bynum and im thinking he won't be back by then.  I don't know if Bynum will even be back at all, let alone in the time frame they said.

5) As for hitting his hand in the playoffs...well even if he rehabs it and comes back in 6 weeks it can still be reinjured very easily.  Really no matter what his hand is going to be weak come playoff time.  Either cuz of a looming injury or because of it not being fully good to go.  I had hand surgery a few years back and it took FOREVER for it to get back to normal.  A hell of a lot longer then they said it should be fine.

[JoMal]

I agree with Hollinger and JoMal. 

As exited I am to see the Lakers coming back around to a team that competes in the playoffs, I don't see them winning it this year anyway.  Kobe should just get it fixed now and focus on getting 100% for the future.   

I disagree with all of you (jomal, msc, and john hollinger yea I know he doesn't post here) for a few reasons:

1) Its very painful to agree with JoMaL on anything...even if he said the sky was blue  jk

2) The Lakers are finally starting to click as a unit.  The chemistry is there, Pau is just getting use to playing with the guys and specifically Kobe if Kobe left his role would change and he would have to readjust again, and they are getting a swagger to them.  They sort of lost the swagger/attitude when Bynum went down and I think if Kobe went down they would lose it again.  You can't wait until Kobe comes back to work on it again.  That mentality HAS to be there going into the playoffs if they want to have an edge.  After this road trip they finally got the mentality that good teams have, which is they should win every night and want to win every night.  That mentality is still new to them and I rather see them get use to it rather then lose it after losing their best player.

3) The West is super close and regardless of Pau won 50 games with a lesser squad years ago...this year in the West the Lakers could easily miss home court advantage and if things went real bad miss the playoffs altogether.  This isn't 2004.  The West is PACKED.  I still believe this squad needs home court advantage in the earlier rounds to be successful.  They are not a playoff tested team yet and any boost they can get, they need.

4) 6 weeks is stated but thats IF everything works out fine.  Thats IF he rehabs perfectly.  They said 8 weeks with Bynum and im thinking he won't be back by then.  I don't know if Bynum will even be back at all, let alone in the time frame they said.

5) As for hitting his hand in the playoffs...well even if he rehabs it and comes back in 6 weeks it can still be reinjured very easily.  Really no matter what his hand is going to be weak come playoff time.  Either cuz of a looming injury or because of it not being fully good to go.  I had hand surgery a few years back and it took FOREVER for it to get back to normal.  A hell of a lot longer then they said it should be fine.

Well, westkoast, since you listed agreeing with me #1 on your list for not opting to see Kobe get the surgery now, I have to think you had to come up with the other reasons afterwards so you don't look like a doofus to msc and that other guy.

Alternative reasons for doing the surgery now:

1. Kobe could ruin his entire shooting rhythm by favoring or trying to protect his hand.

2. Dribbling for him will need careful consideration before he attempts it.

3. Careening rebounds where several players try to corral the lose ball are going to be interesting if Bryant is standing in the area.

4. With westkoast's lips glue-locked to his pinky, it will make it harder for Bryant to avoid looking like a prissy, Brokeback Mountain version of a "tough guy".

[westkoast]

1.  Yes he could.   Also consider with the amount of offensive weapons the Lakers have and their ball movement it would be fine to see him pass more instead of shooting.  Gasol, Odom, Fisher, and then Bynum if he comes back..Farmar/Sasha off the bench there's plenty of people to pass FIRST to.

2.  Valid argument but he already dribbled on it.  The injury occured in the 3rd quarter of that game.  The Lakers have a couple of days to test the waters with him before the next game.  You guys could be right and he decides to get the surgery now.

3. Had the same concern when his shoulder was injured and he did fine.  When he says he can play I tend to believe him.

4. We don't have "mountain cowboys"  down here in Southern California...I believe those people reside in Northern California, you know up near Sacrameno.  Im sure you are much more familiar with them then I would be.

[rickortreat]

It comes down to whether he can play with his finger like that or not.  He may simply tape it to the ring finger and play that way.

If he can be effective without the surgery it makes sense to keep playing.  If he can't, then he has to get the surgery now, to be back in time for the playoffs.

The thing is, he should make the decision quickly, to make sure he can get back in time, because the Lakers may very well have a real shot at the title with Bynum, Kobe and Gasol.

[Reality]

Lakers/Kobster were hoping to get him 5 or 6 days rest all told and then reasses.
NBA rules clearly state if you play in the game just prior to the All Star game you cannot sit out.  Of course Kobe is looking for an exception.

If Kobester does get the surgery, will the Lakers get DWade from Miami for Chris Mihm and a 1st round pick?

[Reality]

LeBron sat out two weeks with his finger.
SuperManu tried to play thru his and that proved to be unwise so he sat.

Kobster should sit it out now and/or get surgery now.

[JoMal]

4. We don't have "mountain cowboys".......  Im sure you are much more familiar with them then I would be.

That you actually WATCH the Lakers play negates this arguement completely.