L.A. Lakers Fall To Jazz: Is It Time To Worry About Kobe Bryant's Health Yet?

In five preseason games, Kobe Bryant is averaging 11.8 points in 18.8 minutes per game.  He is shooting 30 percent from the field and 12 percent from three-point range.  Will Kobe's woes continue into the regular season?  Do the Lakers and their fans have cause for concern?

When the Lakers lost to FC Barcelona on October 7, I didn't see any reason to start panicking.  Now that they're 2-4, I'm not so sure anymore.

Kobe's nursing a bum knee after undergoing surgery this offseason.  Anyone who has played basketball competitively knows how important legs, and particularly knees are.  To be effective, a player's legs and core have to be strong and healthy.

Bryant's injury is clearly affecting his explosiveness.  He hasn't been able to separate as well, or get up as high on jump shots.  He is also struggling to find any kind of rhythm.

At this point, the Lakers might want to consider resting Kobe for the next few weeks.  Further injury to the knee could devastate his season (and possibly his future based on the severity).  Knee issues should never be taken lightly.

Would LA get off to a slow start if Kobe missed the first few games of the year?  Possibly, but those few losses would be worth the franchise player's health.  They've invested a huge amount of money in this guy, and the investment is worthless if his body breaks down completely.

He has not been at full speed for a couple years now.  He's been dealing with multiple issues with his finger, a sprained ankle, and now the knee.  In addition to all that, he has to suffer the general wear and tear a professional athlete's body goes through. 

The amount of punishment an NBA body takes is immense, especially one like Kobe Bryant's.  He's averaged nearly 37 minutes per game for his career for a grand total of 37,336 regular season minutes.  Add playoffs and he's up to 45,147 minutes.  We're still not considering practice time, preseason games and international competition.

Let Kobe rest.  Let him get back to 100 percent.  Los Angeles won't lose much, if any ground in his absence (don't forget how well they played when Kobe rested last season).

If they have all their talent at full strength come playoff time, nobody should beat them... not even the Miami Heat.