The Los Angeles Lakers received a dose of bad news today when it was learned that backup point guard Jordan Farmar has been diagnosed with a tear of his left hamstring and is expected to be out for approximately four weeks. Farmar had an ultrasound test and was examined this morning by Dr. Luga Podesta after injuring himself in the first quarter of last night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
At a time when injured star guard Kobe Bryant is rumored to return to action this week, the Lakers backcourt still will remain a man down even if Bryant does play. Although Lakers fans certainly would prefer to have Farmar out of action than Bryant.
Nevertheless, Farmar has had a solid season in his return home to the purple-and-gold. He is currently averaging 9.2 points, 4.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 19 minutes in 18 games this season, and has been the catalyst for the Lakers productive bench play.
Quite simply, Farmar adds a dimension of athleticism and defense that injured veteran Steve Nash does not have. He also has superior court vision and creativity with the ball than current-starter Steve Blake. With Farmar out, expect Blake's minutes to increase, with perhaps Nick Young, Xavier Henry, and Jodie Meeks helping out with the ballhandling on a limited basis.
In other Lakers news, forward/center Pau Gasol had an MRI exam this morning, which confirmed he has a mild sprain of his right ankle.
By Staff of The Daily Sports Herald and news services
No comments:
Post a Comment
We encourage all intelligent, passionate comments. Please refrain from any ignorant, racist, or offensive rants.