Should Kobe Bryant's Foot Injuries Have Teammates Worried?

With opening night just over 36 hours away, the Los Angeles Lakers may start a potentially dream season at a disadvantage.  Star shooting guard and unquestioned team leader Kobe Bryant has been fighting a foot injury and has not practiced in nearly a week, putting his status for the Lakers' season opener against the Dallas Mavericks in doubt.  The future Hall of Famer has been fighting a strain in his right foot and there is no real timetable for his return.

According to a tweet by Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, even teammate Pau Gasol doubts that Bryant will play, as he said, "I can't remember the last time Kobe didn't practice for six days."

Simply put, if Bryant is hurt enough to the point where he can't even practice, his teammates should definitely be concerned.

The man has a reputation as one of the toughest and most durable players in the league, having remained one of the NBA's most active scorers in spite of the fact that he is 34 years old and entering his 17th professional season.  The last time he missed significant time with an injury was the 2004-2005 season, when he only appeared in 66 games due to a sprained ankle.

Should he be out for an extended period of time to start 2012-13, chances are that Bryant would be replaced in the starting lineup by Jodie Meeks, who signed with the Lakers as a free agent this summer.  Now, Meeks is a fine shooter who has a nice touch from long range, but the fact of the matter is that he is nowhere near as good as Bryant. 

Take the man known as "The Black Mamba" out of the equation, and the Lakers lose at least 27 points per game.  On top of the loss of scoring, some tight defense is also out the window, as Bryant has also been named to nine All-Defensive First Teams.

Most important of all, however, is the fact that Bryant is one of the most clutch players in the league. This is the primary reason why the rest of the Lakers should worry if he's not ready to go by tomorrow night.  When the pressure is on and the game is on the line, the man has no problem putting the team on his back and taking the final shot.  Were he not this type of player, it's doubtful that he would have five championship rings, let alone his 2008 MVP trophy and 14 trips to the All-Star Game.

That all being said, barring any major developments today, Lakers Nation should be prepared to open the 2012-13 season without Kobe Bryant. 

Granted, new point guard Steve Nash is an excellent leader and should have no problem picking up some of the slack in his teammate's absence, but he just doesn't have the history Bryant has in the city.  We're talking about a player who took the team by storm at just 19 years of age and has averaged 25.4 points per game for his career.  Last season, despite his advancing age (and I use that term very loosely), he lost the league scoring title by a mere tenth of a point and only because he chose to sit out the last game of the season.

Thus, Pau Gasol and every single one of Kobe Bryant's teammates should be worried about the star guard's injuries.  Even if he misses just one game, the team still plays in the highly competitive Western Conference.  One game makes a big difference there and could determine how the Lakers are seeded in the playoffs, or even whether they make the postseason.

As a whole, the team is deep enough to the point that it's going to be fine and shouldn't worry about the season being lost.  Still, any time without Bryant is a tremendous loss, as his leadership and skills are unquestionable.