Ron Artest has fit in really well for the Lakers this season as their starting small forward. He has played in 47 games (all starts) for the Lakers this season and he is averaging 33.1 minutes, 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Artest isn’t causing any problems out in L.A. as head coach Phil Jackson is used to dealing with players like him. Artest has not only been playing well on defense as usual but he is shooting 40.1% from the three point line. Artest was a smart addition for the Lakers.

Kobe Bryant has a badly broken finger, an aching knee, and now has a sprained ankle to deal with.  That isn’t going to stop the “Black Mamba” from playing though, and he is expected to play tonight against the Denver Nuggets.  Kobe knows how to play through the pain, which he has proven by playing most of this season with a broken index finger on his shooting hand.  It hasn’t really affected his game too much either, with Kobe averaging 27.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals while shooting 46% from the field.  The one part of his game that his finger could be limiting him is his three point shooting.  Kobe is only hitting 32% of his threes this season, which is his lowest three point percentage since the 2001-’02 season.  Kobe has been playing great overall though, and the Lakers are atop the Western Conference with a 38-12 record.  Without Kobe they go from arguably the best team in the NBA, to just a decent team, so they can not afford to lose him.  Kobe’s competitive drive will keep him on the court as long as he can, and hopefully his injuries don’t get worse and affect him in the playoffs.

Small forward Luke Walton’s season started late due to injury but that doesn’t cover up for the fact that he is not playing well. Walton has played in 20 games (0 starts) for the Lakers this season and he is averaging 8.6 minutes, 2.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He has fallen behind Shannon Brown on the depth chart pretty much because he has gotten outplayed by him.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Kobe Bryant has another lofty achievement to add to the long list of great accomplishments he has had in his career.  He became the 15th player to reach 25,000 career points and reached it at a younger age than any player in NBA history.  In tonight’s game against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kobe hit a free throw in the second quarter to bring his career total to 25,000 points.  Unfortunately for Kobe, his opponent in tonight’s game will likely get to 25,000 points even quicker.  Kobe will soon pass Jerry West (25,192) and Reggie Miller (25,279), and will likely pass Alex English (25,613) this season.  That means at the end of this season the 31-year-old Bryant will be 12th all-time in career points.  Kobe is having another phenomenal season, averaging 28.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.8 steals on 47% shooting.  What makes those numbers even more impressive is that Kobe has been playing with a broken index finger on his shooting hand since early December.  He is definitely one of the best to ever play the game.

Shooting guard Sasha Vujacic looks like he has flat out lost his job to Shannon Brown (who is outplaying him this season). Vujacic has played in 39 games (0 starts) for the Lakers this season and he is averaging only 7.9 minutes, 2.4 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. With his long range shooting being his main asset, Vujacic might need some time to get back his shooting rhythm if he gets brought back into the regular rotation at some point this season for the Lakers.