Pivot Points: Kobe Bryant Has Made Peace With His Injuries, Should We?

Although the Los Angeles Lakers have lately had to endure questions about their toughness, I'm sure none of those concerns have been directed at Kobe Bryant, as his level of toughness is not up for debate.

I have found it hard to play basketball with a sprained finger on my off hand, so I couldn't imagine the pain Bryant must be dealing with playing with a broken finger on his shooting hand.

Bryant has handled the ordeal like the professional he is, but the finger coupled with a recent series of back spasms have began to take their toll, and the results have played out during the course of the last seven games.

In that stretch Bryant's shooting percentage has fallen to 38 percent, while his scoring average has dropped as well to 23 points per game, which is still decent but far from Kobe-like.

It's led to whispers of age finally beginning to make its presence known on Bryant's chiseled frame, and that a several game rest may need to happen in order for him to fully heal.

Kobe has chuckled at the thought of taking time off and based on his extremely competitive spirit, the only way he may take a seat is if he were wheelchair-bound.

You have to love the mentality to play through excruciating pain and no one is doubting Kobe's resolve, but is a little time off the answer for what ails Kobe in general and the Lakers as a whole?

One could make the argument that the Lakers are suffering from the high number of missed shots while Kobe has searched for a comfortable rhythm with his jumper, but could you imagine the alternative?

The Lakers have the talent to survive in the absence of Kobe, but not a single player on the team possesses the killer instinct or the leadership qualities that Bryant instills in the team.

If talent were the only issue, the Lakers would be set because they have one of the most skilled rosters the NBA has seen in quite some time and there are players at every position which are capable of hurting you.

But I doubt if they could do it alone because, if recent history is any indication, the Lakers would fold under the pressure of going into battle without their veteran leader.

For all the talent embedded in the seven-foot frame of Pau Gasol, he is still a complementary player who needs to be chided at times in order to keep his focus because it's not in his nature to lead.

Lamar Odom is one of the more unique players in the NBA, able to play four positions and serve as a secondary ball-handler, but he is a victim to his own perpetual inconsistency.

Ron Artest is still trying to find his rhythm in the Laker scheme, while Andrew Bynum is still dealing with the growing pains associated with playing the center position in the NBA.

That leaves veteran Derek Fisher, a player one would think to be the perfect person to lead the Lakers in the absence of Kobe, but Fisher has been dealing with questions about his own decision-making and shot selection.

Coach Phil Jackson has suggested Bryant rest since he is far less concerned with playoff seeding but even he is powerless to induce Kobe to take a break to let his body heal.

Maybe the answer lies in a reduction in Kobe's minutes rather than sitting him indefinitely, because in that compromise there are advantages on all sides of the table.

Reducing Kobe's minutes to 20-25 per game would ensure Bryant is on the floor when his team needs him the most, and it would also give him the precious time his body needs to heal.

The irony in Kobe's decision to persevere is found in the legions of observers who have chimed in with their opinions on what Bryant's decision should be, sit or play, and no general consensus has been reached.

One thing is sure, due to Kobe's decision to endure, his finger and his back are exempt from being used as excuses, and since it seems he has made peace with his decision, however painful it may be, so should we.