In what could be described as healthy competition or a heated training camp battle, Lakers guards Kobe Bryant and Nick Young have been battling and bantering back in forth. Trash talk has been the least of what’s been going on between both players.
It led to a torn ligament in Young’s right thumb after the intense matchup led to Young crashing his hand into Kobe’s elbow. Young will undergo surgery and could miss eight weeks or more. Kobe couldn’t be more “Mambaish” about the injury and the root of it.
Young hurt thumb reaching in on defense, hitting Kobe's elbow. Kobe to Nick: "My body is made of steel, that's why."
— KEVIN DING (@KevinDing) October 4, 2014
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Kobe might be made of steel, but he’s only capable of doing so much and with an offensively challenged team, they could’ve used Young’s scoring punch off the bench. Despite how his initial comments might’ve been colder than the iceberg that’s sunk the Lakers franchise into a sea of mediocrity in recent years, when delivering more serious sentiments
for several weeks is definitely a big loss, saying he brought “enthusiasm, offensive punch and chemistry” to training camp.
Last season, Young averaged 17.9 points for the Lakers and is expected to be the central threat in the Lakers talented and athletic second unit. In response to his absence, coach Scott said that with Young out for almost three months, there will be situations when Bryant plays the small forward position. Not ideal for a player of Kobe’s age who will need his minutes carefully managed throughout the regular season.
When Young’s hand was initially evaluated, the Lakers were hoping for the injury to only be a sprain. When it was identified as a tear, Scott responded in the same lighthearted manner that’s been the overall vibe in training camp.
"Maybe I jinxed him, I don’t know,” Scott said. “I’m not going to say anything good about Nick Young for the rest of the year. Maybe that will keep him healthy for us. Scott continued, “My answer to him was, ‘If you moved your feet you wouldn’t hurt your hand.’ And he just started laughing,” Scott said. “Hopefully it’s something that’s not long term.”"
Young’s injury isn’t devastating to the Lakers goals of getting back into the post season, and there’s always the possibility of Young returned before his eight week projection. A minor setback, but the Lakers have greater hurdles ahead of them. As long as there’s nothing that threatens their roster by All-Star break, they’re still in a good place. For now they’ll miss Swaggy P’s fantastic decision making on the court, and questionable fashion choices on the sideline. Los Angeles is never short on entertainment.