The Los Angeles Lakers and their fans were well aware that this would be a transition year for a franchise that had become so accustomed to winning. That fact became even clearer when Kobe Bryant suffered a torn rotator cuff that will force him to miss the remainder of the regular season. It’s been a long fall for a franchise that only a couple of years ago appeared to have assembled a dream team to the West Coast. They were considered among the favorites to bring home another NBA championship.
While on the surface the Kobe injury might seem like another tough blow for a franchise that has had to deal with far too many lately, the reality is it could be a blessing in disguise. Yes, there will be far less urgency to go to the Staples Center this season as the Lakers are again down in the dumps but, in the long run, this injury is good news.
[related_post_one]
Saving Kobe For Later
The first and most important thing to remember in this situation is Kobe’s recent injury history as well as his contract and current status with the team. When the Lakers signed him to an extension that will pay him nearly $50 million over two years, it became clear that they still believed they could build a contender around him before he retires.
However, at 36 years old and after suffering back-to-back season ending injuries, the reality is that he might not have enough left in the tank to play three full seasons. Considering the Lakers aren’t going to contend for a playoff spot, it makes that much more sense for Kobe to shut it down while resting and recovering to get back to full strength for next season.
[related_post_two]
Easier To Tank Without Him
The fact that Los Angeles isn’t in contention for a playoff spot means the Kobe injury also lends itself to the idea the Lakers will have an easier time tanking without him. Right now, only three other NBA teams have fewer wins than the 12 that the Lakers have recorded this season but the franchise is still in a very vulnerable position in regards to their top draft pick for this year. The Lakers first-round pick will remain protected as long as they pick in the top five but if they don’t, then that selection will move to the Phoenix Suns as part of an earlier trade. It would only add insult to a poor season if Los Angeles missed the playoffs but also missed out on a top five pick because Kobe helped them to a better record than potentially five other teams. Without him, they should have an easier time nose-diving and making sure they do everything possible to get in to position to keep that pick.
Injury Clears The Way For The Youth Movement
One final area where Kobe’s injury will help the Lakers is with the young players on the team that will get more playing time and experience the rest of the way. Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin might not be in the picture long term and it really hurt the team when rookie Julius Randle went down in his first NBA game, but players like Jordan Hill, Ed Davis, and Nick Young will get a lot more focus with Kobe out of the lineup, which helps in terms of both their own development and also potentially boosting their trade value should the Lakers eventually want to move one of them.
It has been five years since Los Angeles last celebrated an NBA title and right now, they are playing third string to the Clippers and Los Angeles Kings in their own building. It will take a lot to turn this franchise around but as far as the big picture goes, it appears as though Kobe’s injury should actually help the team a lot more than it hurts them.
