February 2012 Archives

The Lakers listed superstar guard Kobe Bryant as day-to-day after announcing Tuesday afternoon he suffered a concussion in addition to a broken nose after Dwyane Wade clobbered him during the All-Star Game on Sunday in Orlando, Fla.

However, it appears unlikely Bryant will be cleared to play Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves because the NBA's new concussion protocol is designed to ensure players are symptom-free before they return to the court.

Bryant skipped Tuesday's practice to visit Dr. John Rehm, an ear, nose and throat specialist who confirmed the original diagnosis of a broken nose. Rehm also recommended Bryant undergo an MRI exam and visit a neurologist to address other unspecified symptoms. Bryant then visited Dr. Vern Williams, who diagnosed a concussion. Williams is scheduled to examine Bryant again Wednesday.

Under the NBA's strict new guidelines for concussions, Bryant must complete a series of steps to confirm he's fit to play. Once he is free of symptoms, he must advance through increasingly more difficult stages of physical exertion.

Bryant must ride a stationary bike, jog, perform agility exercises and then engage in non-contact drills with his teammates while ensuring the symptoms do not return after each increase in activity. The NBA's concussion specialist must then clear him.

Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Michigan, was hired in December to serve as director of the NBA's concussion program. Kutcher's role is to ensure players do not return to the court too quickly.

Kobe Bryant didn't attend Tuesday's practice and his status for Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves is "unknown at this time," according to a team spokesman. Bryant saw Dr. John Rehm, an ear, nose and throat specialist who confirmed the original diagnosis of a broken nose. Bryant, who has other symptoms, will undergo an MRI exam and see a neurologist. He was injured when Dwyane Wade smacked him in the face during Sunday's All-Star Game in Orlando.

Wade issued an apology after the Miami Heat's practice.

Bryant's teammates questioned Wade's decision to take a hard foul.

"At an All-Star Game, I don't understand what that was all about. It was crazy," Lakers center Andrew Bynum said of the play.

Added power forward Pau Gasol: "I think it was out of place, out of line. I don't think (Wade) intended to break his nose. He just kind of fouled him hard there and got his nose. But again, I don't think it was the place for a foul like that."

A sneak-peek at tomorrow's story today ...

Kobe Bryant's visit to see Dr. John Rehm, an ear, nose and throat specialist, to learn more about the broken nose he suffered during Sunday's All-Star Game in Orlando, Fla., was postponed until Tuesday, the Lakers said Monday.

The Lakers are scheduled to hold their first practice after the All-Star break Tuesday afternoon at 2 (PST). Then they play host Wednesday to the Minnesota Timberwolves. It's uncertain whether Bryant will be fit to practice or to play.

Or whether he will be forced to wear a protective mask.

Bryant was hurt when Dwyane Wade clobbered him on a drive to the basket with 8:48 left in the third quarter, drawing blood. After getting treatment, he made two free throws to tie Michael Jordan for the most points in All-Star history with 262.

The Lakers play host to Wade and the Miami Heat on Sunday.

The Lakers announced today on their website that Kobe Bryant suffered a broken nose during the All-Star Game and will be checked out further this afternoon by an ear, nose and throat specialist. Bryant was injured when Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat fouled him hard on a drive to the basket in the third quarter, drawing blood.

Bryant remained in the game and scored 27 points in the West's 152-149 victory over the East in Orlando, but he skipped a postgame media session to be examined by a doctor. A CT scan revealed the broken nose.

In addition, Bryant suffered a mild concussion, according to a report on Yahoo Sports.

"That's the type of guy he is," West coach Scott Brooks of Oklahoma City said of Bryant. "He's not going to let anybody know that he was in pain or had any issues. The guy is as competitive as I've seen. He was going to give everything and not let us know. That's what makes him the special player that he is."

The Lakers resume practice Tuesday and play their first game after the All-Star break Wednesday when they play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves. They meet Wade and the Heat in a nationally televised game from Staples Center on Sunday afternoon.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum plans to miss Saturday's practice with his fellow Western Conference All-Stars to have his right knee examined by David Altchek, his personal doctor. He is then scheduled to have an injection, which a Lakers spokesman said is part of his ongoing treatment. Bynum is expected to play in Sunday's game.

Given all that's happened, that he's disappointed the Lakers traded Lamar Odom and that he's upset management has refused to clarify Pau Gasol's future with the team, Kobe Bryant showed remarkable restraint this afternoon.

When a reporter asked him after the Lakers' morning shootaround if it might be about time to meet with team executive Jim Buss to talk about the franchise's direction, the face of the franchise said simply, "Um, perhaps."

Bryant declined to comment further, having already created a league-wide stir when he spoke out Sunday about the front office's unwillingness to say whether it intended to keep or trade Gasol. Bryant said he preferred the Lakers keep Gasol.

"Nobody else is going to say it, man," Bryant said, smiling when asked why he chose to speak out about the need to give Gasol some peace of mind before the March 15 trade deadline. "I'm the only one with (guts) big enough to say it, so I said it."

It wasn't certain whether this was the story that set Kobe Bryant off Sunday on a postgame rant about the need for the Lakers' management to clarify Pau Gasol's future with the team or whether it was an accumulation of rumors that drove him to talk.

But here is what SheridanHoops.com reported Sunday:

Derrick Rose has let it be known to Bulls management that we wants to play with Pau Gasol if Chicago is able to swing a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers for the veteran power forward from Spain, a source close to Rose told SheridanHoops.com on Sunday.

The Spanish news outlet Marca was the first to report Sunday that Rose has given his blessing for the Bulls to go after Gasol with a package that would be centered around Carlos Boozer and another player.

"He hasn't said so publicly, but he has made that known privately," said the source, who spoke to SheridanHoops.com on condition of anonymity.

For what it's worth, Chris Sheridan is a veteran reporter who worked for many years for The Associated Press and ESPN.com before starting his own website. Plus, our fathers worked together back in the day in Milwaukee. So I trust him. You should too.

Tomorrow's story tonight ...

After a long, frustrating night in the desert and another disjointed loss away from home, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant called on team management to provide clarity on teammate Pau Gasol's status in purple and gold.

"It's tough to get up for these games sometimes," Bryant said as he began to answer a question about the Lakers' uneven play during a 102-90 loss Sunday night to the Phoenix Suns in front of a crowd of 18,023 at US Airways Center.

"Basketball is such an emotional game you've got to have all of yourself in the game and invested in the game. We didn't have that (Sunday against the Suns)."

Without skipping a beat, Bryant then launched into what was really on his mind.

"It's hard for Pau, with all this trade talk, to invest him completely, or immerse himself completely into games when he hears all this trade talk every other day, you know what I'm saying?" Bryant said, referring to ongoing rumors.

"I wish management would either come out and trade him or not trade him. I talked to him a little bit about it. It's tough for him to give his all if he doesn't know if he's going to be here tomorrow, you know?

"I would rather they not trade him. If they're going to do something, I wish they'd do it. If they're not going to do it, come out and say, 'We're not going to do it.' (Then) he can be comfortable. He can go out and play and invest all of himself in the game."

The Lakers tried to trade Gasol and Lamar Odom to acquire point guard Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets before the lockout-delayed training camp began in December. The NBA, acting as the de facto owner of the Hornets, blocked the deal.

Gasol remained with the Lakers, who then traded Odom to the Dallas Mavericks for a first-round draft pick and an $8.9 million trade exception. Paul ended up going to the Clippers in a revised trade that bolstered the Lakers' Staples Center co-tenants.

With the NBA trade deadline approaching March 15, there have been a number of rumors suggest the Lakers are willing to trade Gasol in order to revamp their roster in the wake of last spring's second-round playoff exit.

Bryant said such a dramatic move wasn't necessary.

"I'm sure we'll make some tweaks here and there," he said after scoring 32 points in the Lakers' first loss in their last four games. "But the foundation is here, with myself, Pau and the emergence of Andrew (Bynum).

"But you can't have one of our pillars not knowing if he's going to be here or not. Hurry up and do something. We should have some type of closure. At least he would get some closure. I would rather they not trade him. If you're going to do it, do it already.

"If they're not going to do it, come out and say, 'We're not doing it.'"

Gasol said he hasn't spoken to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak since the failed attempt to trade him back in December. He wondered whether it was the right thing for him to do, to make the first move and ask Kupchak to clarify his status with the team.

"Obviously, it would be nice to know one way or the other for my own sake," Gasol said after some gentle prodding from several Lakers beat reporters. "But I don't know if I'm in a position to really demand that at all."

Lakers coach Mike Brown said he would probably give backup point guard Steve Blake more minutes than starter Derek Fisher. Blake was sidelined for 13 games because of a rib/sternum injury, but now that he's back and reasonably healthy, he's the one to play bigger minutes, according to Brown.

"Before Steve Blake got hurt, Steve Blake was closing games for us so Fish wasn't playing as much," Brown said before tonight's game against the Suns in Phoenix. "Steve Blake gets hurt, I've got two rookies as my backups, so Fish's minutes go up. Steve Blake gets healthy, so Fish's minutes are probably going to go back down. I've talked to Fish and Steve about it. Right now, I like the way both of them are playing, but I think Steve is giving us a little bit more."

Sneak-peek at tomorrow's story tonight ...

Before the Lakers improved to 13-2 at home and 18-12 overall and the Suns lost their fourth in a row and fell to 12-19, Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said everyone in the Western Conference is fearful of meeting the Lakers in the playoffs.

"I agree, I agree," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said when told of Gentry's comment. "We're going to move up. This 18-12 thing ... we're going to move up. We're going to stabilize our rotation. We're going to continue to make shots. We're going to be a force.

"I appreciate the comments, but we're going to move up."

Tomorrow's story today ...

The Lakers sent Derek Fisher home from practice today because of a sinus illness. His participation in Friday's game against the Phoenix Suns wasn't clear, but when asked if he expected Fisher to play, coach Mike Brown said, "I think so, but I don't know."

The 37-year-old Fisher has played in 524 consecutive regular-season games, including 402 straight starts, the longest active streaks in the NBA. He hasn't missed a game since the 2004-05 season while with the Golden State Warriors.

Fisher played only 18 minutes, 34 seconds in the Lakers' victory Tuesday over the Hawks, scoring three points on 1-for-4 shooting with three rebounds and three assists. He hasn't played more than 19 minutes in either of the last two games.

Steve Blake could be asked to play even bigger minutes than the 29:26 he played during Tuesday's game. Blake scored only five points on 2-for-5 shooting, but also had a team-leading six assists plus three rebounds.

The Lakers moved one step closer to solidifying their rotation when they assigned backup small forward Devin Ebanks to the D-Fenders of the D-League. Ebanks started the season's first four games, but only appeared in eight other games as Lakers coach Mike Brown decided to go first with Matt Barnes and then Metta World Peace as his starter.

The moves comes a week after the Lakers waived backup power forward Derrick Caracter in a move to open a roster spot and also save the on payroll. Caracter's contract of roughly $750,000 would have become guaranteed had he been on the roster as of last Friday. The Lakers expect Ebanks to make his D-Fenders debut Saturday.

Tomorrow's story tonight ...

Metta World Peace expressed concerns the other day about Lakers coach Mike Brown's shuffling of the rotation. World Peace said more consistency would help him and the team play better and win more games.

After all, Brown used first Devin Ebanks then Matt Barnes then World Peace (the former Ron Artest) as the Lakers' starting small forward so far this season. Brown said he has settled on World Peace as his starter.

World Peace also said Brown relies too much on statistics to determine his rotation.

In an attempt to ensure they are on the same page, Brown met with World Peace at the Lakers' morning shootaround Tuesday. They talked and cleared the air and the player and the coach each said everything was fine.

"The main thing is just winning," World Peace said before the Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 86-78. "The main thing here is everybody wants to win. That's a good sign. I was not frustrated. It was not frustration. I was just looking for consistency."

Brown, in his first season as the Lakers' coach, said he understood World Peace's concerns. He also reserved the right to make decisions, change his mind and do all he believed to be right in order to make sure the Lakers are best prepared to play.

"I'm not afraid to make a change," Brown said. "I'm the coach. I make the decisions. I'll make a change if I feel I need to. I talked not just to him but a lot of guys on the team because I have changed the minutes.

"God bless anybody who has walked into a new situation and after two games figures out what rotation he wants to have for the rest of the year. ... If I were a stats guy, Metta wouldn't be playing at all. If I were him, I would be frustrated."

Tomorrow's story tonight ...

The Lakers attended a private workout held by free agent guard Gilbert Arenas, according to a report on Yahoo! Sports. The team has expressed some interest in signing Arenas, a former Grant High of Van Nuys standout. Kobe Bryant said last week he was on board with adding Arenas, who played last season with the Orlando Magic.

The website, citing two unnamed sources, reported that Arenas moved well during the workout. Members of the Lakers coaching staff were in Toronto with the team and didn't attend the workout, which was held in Southern California. It was unclear whether general manager Mitch Kupchak was at the workout.

The Lakers have struggled at the point guard position so far this season. Veterans Derek Fisher and Steve Blake, his backup, were run ragged by Jeremy Lin in a loss Friday to the New York Knicks and by Jose Calderon during a victory Sunday over the Toronto Raptors. Lin had 38 points and Calderon scored 30.

A sneak-peek at tomorrow's story tonight ...

Coach Mike Brown revealed the Lakers considered signing Jeremy Lin during the lockout. Brown recalled general manager Mitch Kupchak mentioned his name, and quite a few others, as a player the team could sign to bolster its backcourt.

He had heard the name. Most NBA coaches know most of the players around the league, even if they might have trouble assessing strengths and weaknesses of some of the younger ones like Lin, who ended up signing with the New York Knicks.

"When he was floating out there, Mitch had some interest in him and brought him up to me," Brown said. "We brought up a million names. This was before we had our team. Mitch liked him, but I didn't know anything about him."

Kobe Bryant's legacy as one of the game's greatest players is secure, according to Lakers coach Mike Brown. Bryant passed Shaquille O'Neal and moved into fifth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list Monday, sparking a flurry of questions about Bryant's place in history. Brown said Bryant rises above many of the game's newest crop of superstars because he's played for five NBA championship teams with the Lakers.

Brown gave a nuanced answer when asked if Bryant had won a battle to be the best in his day, topping LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and others of the younger generation.

"When you look at championship rings, the guys who have multiple rings are the ones who should be mentioned when you're talking about people's legacies. They should be mentioned first because there are a lot of great players out there that I believe can put up great numbers and do great things, especially on a team when you don't win, it's a different type of pressure you go through.

"When you have five of them and have the possibility of getting more, or six or seven or eight, it's like, 'Whoa.' That right there separates you or puts you in a different category. If you're talking about pure talent alone, yeah, there are other guys out there who have a high talent level. But are they to the level of Kobe's? In different aspects of the game.

"You talk about who's a more talented passer between LeBron and Kobe, well, LeBron is. Who's a more talented mid-range scorer, well, Kobe is. Who's a better attacker, Dwyane Wade is. So they all do different things different than each other, but at the end of the day, when it comes to combining talent and skill with the most important thing, which is winning, I don't know how you don't give him the edge."

Breaking news ...

Steve Blake stuck to the company line, but a wide smile gave him away. He was cleared to resume practicing with the Lakers today and, officially at least, his status for Thursday's game against the Boston Celtics will be determined at tipoff.

Asked if he was going to play, he said, "It's a game-time decision."

Blake's grin said something else, like, "The answer is, yes. Of course, I'm playing."

Sidelined since Jan. 11 by a rib/sternum injury, Blake's absence as the Lakers' only veteran backup to point guard Derek Fisher was dramatic. A pair of rookies, Andrew Goudelock and Darius Morris, has served as Fisher's backup for the last three weeks.

Blake is averaging 7.3 points and 2.8 assists in 12 games.

Lakers coach Mike Brown said Blake "isn't Chris Paul, but for us he's a valuable piece."

Breaking news ...

The Lakers announced today they have waived power forward Derrick Caracter, reducing their roster from the maximum 15 players to 14. It's possible they could sign free agent point guard Gilbert Arenas or trade for Cleveland guard Ramon Sessions. Or perhaps there's another move to be made that will strengthen the roster.

Kobe Bryant said Monday he believed the team as constructed was strong enough to be a championship contender by season's end. He also acknowledged the team's margin for error was zero. Lakers coach Mike Brown agreed with Bryant on both counts.

The Lakers took the day off today, but will practice Wednesday in Boston.

Caracter played four games for the Lakers' developmental team, the D-Fenders, and averaged 15.5 points and 7.5 blocks. He had little chance of earning playing time with the Lakers, particularly after suffering a knee injury during training camp.

Caracter wrote on Twitter: "On to the next chapter in my Life. It's over before it begun ... But plan doesn't change ... peace Cali."

A sneak-peek at tomorrow's story tonight. ...

Kobe Bryant said Monday he believes the Lakers have the makings of a championship contender. A trade isn't necessary to transform them from ordinary to something special if they play to or above their potential the rest of the way.

"We can (contend)," Bryant said. "We have to play very solid, near-perfect basketball, particularly with our second unit, which we have in the past. We're capable of contending. Our margin is just not as great as some of the other teams."

Lakers coach Mike Brown agreed.

"That's Mitch's job, to continue to find ways to improve the team," Brown said, referring to Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak. "His track record speaks for itself. He's more than capable of doing that. Having said that, if we don't do anything to this team, I'm excited about this roster.

"I think this roster can contend for a championship. I do agree with what Kobe says. We're an injury away, like we are now, from having to rely on rookies to help get us through and that's a tough situation when you start talking about championships.

"But, with other guys around them (rookie guards Andrew Goudelock and Darius Morris), I do feel we're capable of accomplishing that goal, yes."

The trade deadline is March 15.

Here's a sneak-peek at tomorrow's story ...

Andrew Bynum was voted the starting center for the Western Conference All-Star team for the first time, joining Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant, plus Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Blake Griffin and Chris Paul of the Clippers.

The game is Feb. 26 in Orlando.

"I always wanted to be an All-Star," Bynum said. "I said that six years ago. It took a long time. There was kind of some attrition there, no Yao (Ming) ... (but) for me, it feels good. At least this year, I'm kind of putting up the numbers that qualified me for it."

Indeed, Yao's retirement left the position vacant.

Bynum stated his case effectively to the voting masses by averaging 16.5 points on 54.8 percent shooting and 12.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots in 18 games going into tonight's contest against the Nuggets in Denver.

If he continues at his current pace, the 24-year-old 7-footer will set career highs for scoring and rebounding averages by season's end. His career averages of 10.8 points on 56.7 percent shooting, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks are modest at best.

Gilbert Arenas? Ramon Sessions? Morris Peterson? Kenyon Martin? Rasheed Wallace?

The names are out there, if you hunt for them. The question is whether the Lakers will actually sign and/or trade for one of them in order to bolster their roster. They could use help at the point guard and small forward positions, but will they gamble on a move?

"We've had conversations about a lot of players," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. "There are a ton of players out there that we've had conversations about."

We, of course, means Brown and general manager Mitch Kupchak.

The sudden rise of rookie guard Andrew Goudelock, who has averaged 11.5 points on 50 percent shooting in the last four games, could settle the issue of depth at point guard with Derek Fisher's backup Steve Blake out a while longer with a rib/sternum injury.

Arenas and the others could be useful players, but it remains to be seen if the Lakers decide to add salary to their payroll or whether they stand pat for now. The trade deadline is March 15. Martin can't sign with an NBA team until the Chinese team he signed with during the lockout ends its season later this month.