Kobe Bryant has a torn ligament in his shooting wrist which is being listed as a "day to day'' injury. Even with Bryant playing, however, the Black Mamba won't be on top of his game. But at least their center Andrew Bynum looks good, racking up 26 points and 11 rebounds against the Clippers in their loss Wednesday night. If only he weren't suspended for the first week of the regular season, the Lakers might stand a solid chance.
Looking at their strength of schedule, the Lakers play a worthy group of teams in Chicago, @Sacramento, Utah, New York and Denver.
Without Kobe:
No Kobe, No Bynum, No Wins. I can see the Lakers losing against all five teams. Their bench just isn't strong enough to pull them through, especially with a new head coach in Mike Brown. There is just too much of a shakeup in LA for the Lakers to win many of these games.
The game against Chicago will be a brutal Christmas Day for Lakers fans everywhere. The Bulls already had a star cast of players and picked up Rip Hamilton during the offseason. There is no way the Lakers could pull off this win without Kobe or Bynum.
The only realistic shot they have is defeating the Jazz in LA and possibly winning in Sacramento after their beating from the Bulls. Sacramento finished the 2010-2011 season 24-58, but have added a couple of shooters like BYU star Jimmer Fredette. Utah was also horrendous last season, but C.J. Miles and Al Jefferson are two big names capable of keeping them in the game.
The Knicks and the Nuggets both boasted above-average seasons last year and will both have their way in LA if Kobe isn't starting.
Overall...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
