After undergoing an MRI on Thursday which revealed a torn rotator cuff, the Lakers are expected to rule Kobe Bryant out for the season.
Final word from the doctor today is still to come, but I'm told the Lakers are expecting Kobe to miss the rest of this season.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 23, 2015
After openly questioning the possibility of shutting Bryant down for the season, but it seems the decision has been made for them. While the MRI was performed this morning, the Lakers delayed the release of the results presumably the put together this announcement.
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Bryant injured the shoulder on a dunk in the third quarter of Wednesday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. After driving baseline and dunking home the ball, Bryant injured the shoulder. Despite the injury, Bryant returned to the game in the fourth quarter in obvious discomfort. Able to only use his left arm, Bryant was ineffective
After the game Bryant spoke on the injury and, at the time, seemed far less worried about the severity of it than fans. However, clearly that was misguided faith.
Without Bryant, the already struggling Lakers are going to struggle that much more. If tanking wasn’t already the goal for this season (and it should have been at this point), it’s now the obvious path. With the trade deadline approaching, it’d be a safe assumption that the Lakers will be off-loading players in hopes of securing better odds of retaining their pick this year, which must fall in the top 5 or it will be relinquished to the Phoenix Suns.
A (small) upside to the injury is likely more playing time for rookie Jordan Clarkson. In limited minutes, Clarkson has shown flashes of what made him such an exciting prospect heading into this season. However, he’s struggled to find minutes behind a crowded backcourt. With one less body in front of him, hopefully the rookie can make a small positive out of this negative.
Next: Kobe Bryant and Nick Young: Lakers Dynamic Recruiting Duo