Kobe's Achilles

The Lakers push for the final playoff spot in the West received a devastating blow when Kobe Bryant collapsed to the ground with what is feared to be a torn Achilles.  Such an injury would not only put an end to any hopes of the Lakers putting up a fight in the first round of the playoffs (if they even make it now), but it also could put an end to Bryant's career in a Lakers uniform.

Recovery from a torn Achilles can take anywhere from three months to a year, which would certainly take

Kobe out of the equation for the rest of the season - no matter how far the Lakers progress without him.  What remains to be seen is how much the injury could potentially impact next season, which would be the last season remaining on his current contract with the Lakers.  A worst case scenario could have Kobe missing an entire year with the injury, which could mean he could become a free agent before ever stepping back on the court for the Lakers.

While the recovery time varies, it's much harder for an older player like Bryant to come back from a serious injury like this.  Clippers guard Chauncey Billups has struggled to return from the same injury this season and Kobe's former Lakers teammate Shaquille O'Neal was forced to retire because of this injury.  Kobe may only be 34 years old, but after 17 seasons his body resembles that of a much older man.  Remember, Kobe entered the league as an 18 year old out of high school and has played heavy minutes for much of his career. This season he has averaged well over 38 minutes a game, which is the second most of any player in the league.  Those minutes have risen down the stretch as the Lakers battle for a playoff spot.  In 6 April games he has averaged an absurd 45.2 minutes per game.  Had he not fallen to an injury in that last game against Golden State he would have ended up playing the entire 48 minutes (he was injured with 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter of a close game).  Perhaps a major injury like this was inevitable the way the Lakers coaching staff has run him into the ground this season in a desperate attempt to salvage a failed season, but that's a whole other story.

The most likely scenario would have Bryant returning sometime around the All-Star break next year.  Given

how disastrous this season went, even with Bryant playing at an MVP caliber level, it's hard to imagine the Lakers being in the playoff hunt by the time he returns.  With that in mind, while also considering it will be the final year of his contract, the Lakers could explore the option of cutting Bryant with the amnesty clause.   The option once seemed unfathomable, but it would save the Lakers approximately $80 million in luxury tax fees (assuming Dwight Howard is brought back on a max contract extension).  If Kobe is going to miss at least half the season anyway - if not all of it - the Lakers have to at least think about it, right?

It would certainly be interesting to see what the bidding war for a player of Kobe's caliber would be if he were amnestied by the Lakers.  How much would teams with cap space be willing to bid knowing that he'll likely only play the last couple months of the season and potentially may not even make it back at all?  Given the disaster they suffered through with Andrew Bynum's lost season, you can probably count Bryant's hometown Sixers out on the list of teams willing to take that risk.

It's hard to predict how Kobe would react to that situation.  Would he understand the business decision made by the Lakers and willingly play for another franchise?  Would he be scorned by their betrayal and use that as motivation to rush back quickly?  Or would he decide to shut it down for the entire season, allow his contract to run out and then rejoin the Lakers the following season as a free agent?  By then the Lakers books may be cleared of every contract besides a potentially re-signed Howard and the final year of Steve Nash's deal.  So many questions that we can't possible know the answers to yet.  Bryant himself probably doesn't even know at this point.  He had talked about next season possibly being his last, so if he isn't able to make it back in time to play next year then this injury could be career ending.

It's hard to imagine Kobe allowing his career to end on anything other than his own terms.  He has too much

pride for that and still has goals to accomplish.  Catching Michael Jordan on the career scoring list and equaling his 6 titles are goals that remain in reach.  Catching Kareem for the top spot on the all-time scoring list was always a long shot anyway, but if he misses most of next year with this injury then it's probably safe to say the record is out of reach.  However, Kobe has always been more concerned with comparing himself to MJ and making his case as the best shooting guard ever.  If he has a chance to equal or surpass more of Jordan's accomplishments then he'll have plenty of motivation to return.

The Lakers remain a game ahead of Utah for the 8th seed in the West, but it's hard to imagine them beating the Spurs and Rockets in their final two games without Bryant.  The Jazz own the tie breaker over them, which opens the door for them to overtake the Lakers if LA loses at least one of their final games.  Even if they do make the playoffs, they've gone from the team nobody wanted to face in the first round to easy fodder for the top seed.

It's a crushing blow, not only for the Lakers but for the NBA postseason, which is already dealing with a list of contending teams missing key players for the playoffs.  Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Manu Ginobili, Amar'e Stoudemire, Danilo Gallinari, Danny Granger.  Add Kobe to the list and it looks a lot more like an All-Star roster, with Bryant's absence having perhaps the biggest impact.  Love him or hate him, there is no denying that the league is more interesting with Kobe in it.

You can write the eulogy for the Lakers season, but don't write it for Bryant's career yet.  We don't know when he'll be back.  We don't know if it will be with the Lakers.  But count on him making it back on the court.  We haven't seen the last of Kobe Bryant.