The latest victim of Hollywood's afflicted machine is Metta World Peace. Per Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register, he has a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.
Torn meniscus' are no joke. Just ask boy wonder Jeremy Lin. Or even Metta himself.
According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, World Peace needs surgery and will be about approximately six weeks.
Ouch.
More troubling than the tear itself is what it represents. World Peace's injury serves as a reminder that these Lakers are never going to be completely healthy.
His knee isn't the primary piece of evidence. It's the final burden of proof.
Steve Nash essentially began the season with an injured shin. Steve Blake followed suit with an abdominal abrasion. Pau Gasol has been battling plantar fasciitis all year. Jordan Hill is done for the season. Kobe Bryant is fresh off a severely sprained ankle. Antawn Jamison's wrist is limiting him. Dwight Howard is still playing through pain in his back (and shoulder).
And now this.
World Peace was having his best season in three years. He's averaging 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals. His offensive rating (105) is the second highest of his tenure in Tinseltown and the Lakers are outscoring opponents by an average of 9.3 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor.
Oh, and through 71 games, he appeared in 70, the most of anyone on the team.
Given the season the Lakers have had, it's fitting that the year's most durable player be struck down at the most crucial point of the team's campaign.
Los Angeles cannot attribute all its failed endeavors to injuries, but physical trauma has been one of the prevailing motifs behind the squad's crusade.
The Lakers' Big Five (Bryant, Gasol, Howard, Nash and ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
