PJax "Kobe Will Play in Opener" <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">On a day of conflicting gauges on Kobe Bryant's health, the Lakers guard said Saturday he didn't know if he would play in Tuesday's season opener against Phoenix. Then, 10 minutes later, Phil Jackson revealed he would be healthy enough to coach against Phoenix ... and that Bryant had delivered a bit of news to him. "He says he's going to play on Tuesday," Jackson said. "I'm sure that he'll make the correct decision. He came off the floor [Saturday] and he was sore, but he was on the court for a good hour and a half before he came off." Bryant, who has experienced soreness in his right knee in the aftermath of mid-July arthroscopic surgery, went through almost all of Saturday's practice but did not reveal much about his thoughts for Tuesday. "I don't know," Bryant said. "Just take it day by day. It's kind of frustrating. Every day kind of varies. Today's a little sore." Frustrating? "It's just frustrating because, day by day, you get asked the same question, 'You playing on Tuesday? You playing on Tuesday?' " Bryant said. "It gets a little frustrating, but you've just got to take it for what it is." </div> Source
I'd almost want to watch the Phoenix-Lakers game more than the Raptors-Nets game if Kobe was completely healthy.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm cool with this. But I'm just hoping he's not rushing back</div> Exactly. I'd rather him miss the first month of the season if that's what it takes to be at full health, there are bigger things at stake then this season resting on that knee: Bryant's career and the Lakers future could be ruined if he rushes back and reinjures himself.
After listening to Loose Cannons this morning, I don't want Kobe to play in the opener. The chances are the Suns were going to beat us with Kobe, so write it off as a loss and give Kobe more time to heal. I think the current Lakers squad is good enough to keep the team at .500 or better and buy time for Kobe to heal. It's really difficult for the team to head into games not knowing whether or not Kobe is going to be available. We can't have Kobe playing if he feels severe pain the next day. There's no downtime in basketball, so he should heal to a point where he doesn't need a day off to have the pain go away.
Laker I'd rather have Kobe sit on the bench and play against Golden State kobe will have to running up and down the court when he's not 100 percent I dont think this is a game for kobe to play with no pre season or anytrhing BUT KOBE IS KOBE he can do everything
It's good to see that Kobe is playing, but unless he's 100% there, I don't know if I want him playing.
I agree that Kobe should rest until he is 100%. What if we bring him off the bench for 20 minutes per game? This way he has his game legs on and gets into the team rhythm faster.
Kobe still doesn't trust the knee. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Los Angeles Times - When Kobe Bryant was asked how much he trusted his surgically repaired right knee, he replied "not much." "It's difficult turning the corner, being able to trust it, to be able to pivot and explode off it," he said Sunday. "It's still a little sore. "You kind of put your foot in the water to see if it's cold, like trying to turn the corner but not really trying to turn the corner and then seeing what that feels like," he said. "If it's like, that felt OK, so next time I can turn it a little sharper, a little quicker. Just trying to gauge it like that."</div> Source
