Kobe Bryant's Wrist Injury Will Be Long-Term Concern for Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant is taking a numbing injection in his injured wrist before every game the Los Angeles Lakers play.

If that doesn't grab your attention, it should.

Lakers beat writer Kevin Ding provides an idea of just how concerning Bryant's wrist is going forward, stating:

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"Bryant has been taking a numbing injection to that wrist before every game in hopes of performing normally. Yes, it's that bad.

"He wears an immobilizing brace over the wrist when off the court, meaning take-for-granted parts of life such as texting on his phone or zipping his fly become rather challenging."

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Bryant, who is playing through a torn lunotriquetral ligament, has vowed to continue playing through the pain, despite it obviously impacting his game.

Much has been made of his shooting woes, and while he's had inconsistent performances from the floor thus far, he's shooting just 41.7 percent overall, tying his rookie season for the worst mark in his career.

Although he's scoring 25.9 points per game (an increase of 0.6 points from last season), he's also averaging 2.3 more shots in order to do so.

Additionally, Bryant is really struggling from beyond the arc. A career 33.8 percent shooter from deep, Bryant has made just 7-of-33 this year, good for a 21.2 percent clip.

The Lakers superstar is also turning the ball over at an alarming rate (4.3 per game), and that is not a trend that can continue as the season progresses if he hopes to sustain success.

On the flip side, Bryant is doing more distributing than he has in recent seasons. He's currently posting six assists per game, his most prolific output since the 2004-05 campaign.

Some might chalk that up to him looking for his shot less, but as the numbers show, that just isn't the case.

Bryant hasn't been shy in assessing how he approaches the game, and he doesn't plan to stop shooting at any point in the foreseeable future. "I do what I do. If guys are open, I kick it to them, if they're not, I shoot it," Bryant said. "I play my game."

"If you mean (to ask me) if I'm going to shoot less, the answer is no. It starts with me. I do what I do and we play off of that. That's not going to change."

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The Lakers need Bryant's offensive production, but an incredibly strong start from Andrew Bynum has some fans wondering if the center should be the focal point of the offense.

After his four-game suspension ended, Bynum has come back with a roar over his last three contests. The big man is averaging 22.7 points, 17.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks on 62.2 percent shooting.

Regardless of Bynum's success and Mike Brown's plans to run an offense through his big men, the Lakers need Bryant to score because otherwise the team will struggle.

Finding a middle ground in an attempt to balance the attack has been the toughest part of what the Lakers are doing on the offensive end this season, and it's probably going to take a little bit more time before firing on all cylinders.

But how much time do the Lakers have to figure it out?

Bryant's wrist isn't getting any better, and for a team that has its sights set on atoning for a disappointing postseason exit in 2011, the concern is very real.

The truth is that Bryant's injury isn't going to get any better, but he's played through a myriad of injuries throughout his career. The Lakers are hoping that this season is just like every other in that regard and Bryant will make it through the entire year.

Initially listed as day-to-day when he sustained the injury, Bryant and the Lakers will truly have to take it as it comes in regards to his wrist.