Phil Jackson is contemplating moving Lamar Odom into the starting lineup and bringing Andrew Bynum off the bench. Count me in as a guy that doesn’t like that idea. Bynum is young and he might not respond when to being demoted. Plus he has played pretty well this season. Bynum has played in 50 games (all starts) for the Lakers this season and he is averaging 31.3 minutes, 15.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game. That’s not to say that Odom is not a starting player because he would start for at least 75% of the teams in the NBA. He has played well this season for the Lakers. Odom has played in 54 games (25 starts) for the Lakers this season and he is averaging 31.3 minutes, 10.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

Kobe Bryant has now missed three straight games for the Los Angeles Lakers, but they are 3-0 without him.  The main reason why is Pau Gasol who has really stepped it up in Kobe’s absence, especially in the last 2 games.  In Kobe’s first game out of action against the Trail Blazers, the Lakers got an easy 99-82 win and Gasol had 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.  That is a bad game compared to Gasol’s last two.  In a 101-89 win over the Spurs, Gasol had 21 points, 19 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 blocks, and 1 steal.  He followed that up with nearly an identical stat line of 22 points, 19 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 blocks, and 1 steal in a 96-81 win over the Jazz.  The Lakers were also without one of their other top players, Andrew Bynum, so Gasol’s phenomenal play is coming at a great time for the Lakers.  Gasol has been a great sidekick to Kobe Bryant, but he has proven he can hold down the fort while Kobe is out healing up.  If the Lakers can get healthy for the playoffs, I see no reason why they won’t repeat as NBA Champions.

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.

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.

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.

The very athletic Shannon Brown has really found a home with the Los Angeles Lakers, and is averaging career highs in almost every category.  Coming out of the Chicago area Proviso East High School, Brown was one of the most highly recruited players in the country and ended up with Tom Izzo at Michigan State where he had a very solid three year career for the Spartans.  Brown went on to be the 25th pick in the 2006 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.  His NBA career never really took off and he never saw much playing time.  He bounced around from the Cavaliers, to the Chicago Bulls, to the NBA-D League, and to the Charlotte Bobcats before finally finding a home with the Lakers.  Brown really broke out of his shell for the Lakers in last years’ playoffs and this year has continued to make an impact for the Lakers.  Coming off the bench, Brown averages 7.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 18.2 minutes while shooting 47% from the field.  Brown is a strong defender and a great leaper who has made more than a few highlight-reel, momentum-swinging dunks.  It is hard to believe that all of those other teams could not find use for such an athletic guy, but Phil Jackson certainly loves this guys energy and athleticism.

At the end of regulation Kobe Bryant’s fadeaway jumper from the left elbow was off and the game went into overtime.  Kobe usually doesn’t miss the same shot twice, so when he got another opportunity at the end of overtime to win the game, he went to the same spot and swooshed it at the buzzer to give the Los Angeles Lakers (20-4) the win over the Milwaukee Bucks (11-2).  Kobe finished with 39 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal.  The Lakers shot 47% from the field and outrebounded the Bucks 47-38, with Pau Gasol doing some great work on the glass.  He had a monster game with 26 points, 22 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, and 1 steal.  The Lakers did have 17 turnovers though, something they need to cut down on.  This was a game the Lakers expect to win, so it was a good road victory for them.  It looks like Kobe’s broken finger isn’t effecting his shot too much.

Despite having a broken finger, Kobe Bryant scored a season-high 42 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers (19-4) to a win on the road over the Chicago Bulls (8-15).  Kobe came out hot, and hit 8-12 shots in the first quarter to give him 20 points after one.  The Bulls stayed close throughout though, and were even leading by one after three quarters.  The Lakers defense buckled down in the final quarter, holding the Bulls to 14 4th quarter points.  The Lakers really needed a big night from Kobe, as only two other players scored in double figures for the Lakers.  They were also out-rebounded by the Bulls 51-37.  Pau Gasol did his part though, grabbing 16 rebounds and scoring 10 points.  Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists while Bulls’ center Joakim Noah added 11 points, 20 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 6 blocks.  This was only the sixth road game of the year for the Lakers where they are now 4-2.

The Lakers will be without back up small forward Luke Walton for the next 6 weeks due to a pinched nerve in his back. Walton has played in 9 games (0 starts) for the Lakers so far this season and he is averaging 10.6 minutes, 3.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. The Lakers won’t miss him too much as his injury will just open up more minutes for Shannon Brown who is off to a good start this year.

The 31-year-old Kobe Bryant is not satisfied with only four rings, as he has shown early this season he is on a mission for his fifth.  He has gotten the Lakers off to a 4-1 start and he hasn’t limited himself to just scoring, although he is leading the league with 33.2 points per game.  He is also averaging 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and a league leading 3.2 steals.  Kobe once again has been getting it done down the stretch, as he has led the Lakers to two straight OT victories.  Kobe and the Lakers look to be the favorites in the West once again and don’t be surprised if Kobe adds another ring to his finger at the end of the season.