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Kobe Bryant Christmas

December 23, 2011 by · Comments Off on Kobe Bryant Christmas 

Kobe Bryant ChristmasKobe Bryant Christmas, Los Angeles Lakers’ star Kobe Bryant missed the team’s last exhibition game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, Dec. 21. Bryant is listed as day-to-day with a torn ligament in his right wrist, and he could miss the season opener on Christmas Day.

Depending on the degree of the tear, it’s possible Bryant could be out of action for up to four weeks. If he misses an extended period of time, the chances of the Lakers regaining the Western Conference crown will drop considerably.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are set to host the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 25. Even if Bryant plays on Sunday, the Bulls are tough opening day opponent. Chicago enters the season with one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, and the team should be one of the Miami Heat’s main challengers in 2011/2012. If anything, the Bulls have to be considered a strong favorite to win Central Division.

Chicago has a deep bench that should wear down the Lakers. Los Angeles doesn’t have Lamar Odom to lean on as the team’s sixth man, and if Bryant sits out, the team will be short a player that averaged 25.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assist per game.

Furthermore, Andrew Bynum will be serving a five-game suspension as punishment for his flagrant foul in the 2011 NBA playoffs. With Bynum and Bryant out of the game, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace would be left to lead the team. With all due respect to those three players, I don’t like the Lakers’ chances of beating Derrick Rose and the Bulls. There’s just not enough talent on the club to make up for the production lost by absences of Bynum, Odom, and Bryant.

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