THIS IS SO SAD I THINK ITS TIME FOR KOBE TO HANG IT UP ……
Kobe Bryant came into this season with a lot to prove. Early in the season, he did so by putting up numbers that were ridiculous for someone of his age. However, that workload took its toll on Kobe. In Wednesday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Bryant injured his shoulder and it was eventually announced that he had suffered a torn rotator cuff. Now, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Bryant is expected to miss the rest of the season.
With this being Bryant’s 19th season and the third consecutive to come to an end by way of injury, there will surely be questions about whether Bryant has played his final NBA game.
Head coach Byron Scott has admitted that he put too much of a workload on Kobe early in the season. He had recently cut back on Bryant’s minutes, and Kobe himself had played much more of a facilitator role as opposed to being the primary scorer every possession.
Bryant being out definitely puts a damper on what has already been a less than stellar season. The team is well out of the playoff race and many fans are already looking towards the off-season where the Lakers could be armed with multiple first-round draft picks and ample salary cap space.
The Lakers will now have to use this season as an opportunity to see what players are worth keeping around for the future, much like last season. Players like Jordan Clarkson, Ryan Kelly and Wayne Ellington are sure to see more minutes throughout the rest of the season.