Chris Mihm walked slowly and deliberately across the locker room with a wooden crutch under each arm, a sore sign for the Lakers' immediate future.
Arguably the team's third-most important player, Mihm is sidelined indefinitely, probably a few weeks, a team official said after the center sustained a severely sprained right ankle in Sunday's 120-113 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics.
Mihm, averaging 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, was injured after appearing to come down on the foot of Seattle forward
Rashard Lewis with 48.4 seconds to play. Mihm had jumped to defend a layup by
Chris Wilcox.
"I definitely felt something pop in there and it's swollen up pretty big right now," he said. "I felt it when I came down. I felt it swelling right away. I knew I'd done something."
Mihm, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds at the time, left Staples Center in a medical walking boot, a heavy dose of anti-inflammatory medication and ice awaiting him. His absence will mean more time for
Kwame Brown, who was scoreless against Seattle, and rookie
Andrew Bynum, who had sat out six of the last seven games before logging five minutes against the SuperSonics.
"We will have to wait and see what we do with this basketball team," Coach
Phil Jackson said. "I would guess that Kwame would start and Andrew would be a backup player."
Tex Winter was back in town, that time of the month for a Laker analysis of all things triangular.
Winter, 84 and still consulting, liked what he saw from
Lamar Odom in recent games, slowly coming on board with the forward after criticizing him for lack of consistency earlier in the season.
"Odom is sensing a little bit more what he can accomplish out of the format of the offense," Winter said. "I think he's more comfortable now in reading the defense, making the right reactions and counteractions to how the defense is playing. Consequently, he's created more opportunities for himself to score, which I think he's got to do.
"Of course his strength, what really helps us, is his defense and his defensive board play and powering out of there with that ball. It's helping our running game and opening up the floor a lot more for us."
Winter, like most other Laker followers, senses the pattern of the season — some quality victories but too many losses to inadequate teams.
"They can play the game, but they sort of play down to their competition because they're not great," Winter said. "They may be fair or pretty good, but they're not great. That's what happens to a team like that. There's not that much margin for error if they're not having a good night."
Odom was one of many unhappy Lakers after losing to Seattle.
"I don't know if it's youth, I don't know if it's a heart thing," he said. "Hopefully it's not a heart thing and it's just youth."
Odom made it clear the loss could not be pinned on fatigue, even though he and
Kobe Bryant have each averaged more than 41 minutes in seven games this month.
"I'm not tired," he said. "Kobe's not tired. It's not time for anybody else to be tired."
첫댓글 쩝..8위도 위험해졌군..
바이넘.지난번 마이애미경기에서 샥을 제끼고 덩크 멋졌는데...그후 좀 흥분했지만..정말 멋졌음!
헉..... 로케츠에 이어 레이커스도...
그나마 쓸만한 센터라고는 밈 밖에 없었는데 레이커스 점점 암울한 그림자가ㅠ
레이커스는 그냥 로터리 픽을 노리는게 낳을 지도 모른다는 생각이 듭니다.;; 어짜피 올해 당장 어떻게 해보자는 팀도 아니고;; 당장 코비는 욕좀 먹을 지도 모르지만.;;
지금 폴옵성적인데 플옵포기하면 이도저도 안되질않을까요
그런데 킹스팬께서 그런 말씀을 하시니까 왠지 더욱더 플옵을 가야겠다는 생각이 드는건 왜 일까요?