1/14/2005 02:41:51 PM|||Shep||| "'It's the worst one I've ever had,' Bryant said. 'Crunching, instant throbbing. A lot of pain right now. I can't hop on one leg. My foot, when it's not weight-bearing, kind of jiggles a little bit, and that hurts like crazy.
'This one might be weeks, bro. It doesn't feel like a day-to-day thing.'
Bryant said he would be ready for the results of the MRI exam, whatever they may bring.
'Worst you can get is have a couple of tears in there,' he said. 'It's not season-ending by any means. It's just rest and recuperation. The guys will hold down the fort, I have no doubt.'"
Fantasy Impact
Clearly significant. Kobe owners are certainly waiting on pins and needles to hear the results of the MRI. As for owners of the rest of the Lakers, they are certainly hoping that Kobe is out like Ron Artest, Richard Jefferson, and Bobby Jackson (is this a season or what?). While Kobe is out, the rest of the Lakers are going to have to step up. (Could that be any more obvious?)
If you believe in the Ewing Theory, then now would be a good time to see what Lakers are Free Agents in your league. Possibilities include: Sasha Vujacic, who Forum Blue And Gold has been talking about forever, Caron Butler (but he's probably taken), and Chucky Atkins (not that I really have any faith in him to step up).
Of course, we still have to see how long Kobe is out, and how the other Lakers respond, before knowing each player's true value. But if you're in a competitive league, and/or you've got a player who's been underperforming, now might be a time to take a chance and see what happens. Often, that is what makes fantasy basketball champions.
|||110571006364712312|||Kobe News