Kobe Bryant’s ankle is worse than originally thought, and after playing with what was listed as a “sore left ankle” against the Denver Nuggets, Kobe has missed two straight games for the Los Angeles Lakers and it has been updated to a “sprained left ankle”.  He played 39 minutes against the Nuggets, going 11-22 for 33 points and 9 rebounds.  Kobe’s outside shot was on (he hit 4-8 threes) but he lacked the aggressiveness going to the hole that we are used to seeing out of Kobe.  I’m not sure if he tweaked his ankle and made it worse, but he has been sitting out since that game and may sit out of the All-Star game.  He is listed as a game-time decision for tomorrow night’s game against the Utah Jazz.  The Lakers won both games without Kobe, first a road win against the Portland Trail Blazers and then a home win over the Spurs.  So, the Lakers are still a very capable team without Kobe, but they are going to need him to be healthy towards the end of the season and once the playoffs start.  It might be smart then for Kobe to rest his ankle up for the second half of the season.  Knowing how competitive Kobe is, don’t be surprised to see Kobe out there tomorrow night and even make an appearance during the All-Star game this weekend.

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.