Lakers' Brown misses practice with ailing shoulder

[Warhawk]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2625972

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Kwame Brown missed the Los Angeles Lakers' practice Saturday a day after spraining his right shoulder.

[SIZE=-2]Brown[/SIZE]


Brown, the overall No. 1 pick in the 2001 draft by Washington, collided with Andrew Bynum during practice Friday and aggravated an injury that bothered him for much of last season.
He had therapy on the shoulder Saturday, but might miss Sunday's preseason game against the Phoenix Suns in Las Vegas.
Brown said he has pain when he lifts his arm.
"Every time I get it above my head, it pinches on my shoulder," Brown said. "I haven't raised it above my head yet today. They want me to wait until tomorrow."
Brown said he had cortisone shots for the injury last season but wouldn't have one yet.
"It's too early for that," Brown said.
Kobe Bryant practiced Saturday for the second straight day as he returns from knee surgery on July 15. Bryant didn't go through all of practice, but got his workout in and played in a scrimmage.
Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis said Bryant probably won't play Sunday against the Suns or Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas. Bryant hopes to play in at least one preseason game before the season begins Oct. 31.
"It was good to hear from yesterday's practice when he came in today that his knee didn't feel worse," said Rambis, who is running training camp while head coach Phil Jackson recovers from hip replacement surgery. "That's always a good sign. You don't want to go out and have an active day and then come back and have your injury worse or more swelling."
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

*******

Ugh - if he is still hurting from last year, I doubt it's getting better anytime soon with re-aggravarions.

Stinks for them, but I'm OK with that.

 

[Bricklayer]

No Kobe in the Lakers game either. That's too bad -- even though its just preseason would have been an interesting early gauge for Kevin.

 

[Gargamel]

No Kobe in the Lakers game either. That's too bad -- even though its just preseason would have been an interesting early gauge for Kevin.

What do you consider a good showing for him against Bryant?

BTW, Brick: According to LakersGround, Farmar is LA's best point guard since Magic Johnson (after only 2 preseason games!). Lakes are also going to win the 2008 title "for sure". Watch out.

 

[Bricklayer]

What do you consider a good showing for him against Bryant?

BTW, Brick: According to LakersGround, Farmar is LA's best point guard since Magic Johnson (after only 2 preseason games!). Lakes are also going to win the 2008 title "for sure". Watch out.

Not sure, but last time he met him it was a foul prone wipeout. So how about simply being able to put up solid numbers, play his game, and stay in the game, rather than be overwhelmed. Not expecting him to routinely outscore him or anything. In any case, if he could hang in there against Kobe, then it would be a good sign of him being able to hang in there on nightly matchups with Kobe, Wade, Allen, JRich etc. etc.

 

[Gargamel]

Not sure, but last time he met him it was a foul prone wipeout. So how about simply being able to put up solid numbers, play his game, and stay in the game, rather than be overwhelmed. Not expecting him to routinely outscore him or anything. In any case, if he could hang in there against Kobe, then it would be a good sign of him being able to hang in there on nightly matchups with Kobe, Wade, Allen, JRich etc. etc.

Gotcha. Going for poise. Looks like KMart2 won't get a crack at Wade until 12/7 and Kobe until 1/4. Ray Allen didn't do much in the last preseason game, the Sonics played their subs for most of it. Could be awhile before Martin is tested.

 

[Warhawk]

Lakers' Brown out 3-4 weeks with shoulder ailment

Looks like I might have been right....


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2632325

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers center Kwame Brown will be sidelined approximately three to four weeks because of a bruised rotator cuff and bursitis in his right shoulder, meaning he will miss the start of the season.

Lakers spokesman John Black said Thursday that Dr. Neal Elattrache, a shoulder specialist, examined Brown a day earlier and made the diagnosis.

Brown, 24, hasn't played since colliding with Andrew Bynum during practice Saturday. His shoulder bothered him last season as well.

Brown, the No. 1 pick in the 2001 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, averaged 7.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in 72 games for the Lakers last season -- his first with the team. He became the team's starting center after Chris Mihm injured his right ankle March 12.

Mihm played only one game after that and is still recovering from offseason ankle surgery.

"Chris won't be ready by opening night," Black said. "We really don't want to put a timetable on it other than to say it's going to be more than two weeks."

The Lakers open the season Oct. 31 against the Phoenix Suns.

With Brown and Mihm sidelined, possible options at center to start the season are the 18-year-old Bynum, Ronny Turiaf and Brian Cook. Bynum was the team's first-round draft pick last year and Turiaf was the second-round selection. Neither played much as rookies, and Cook is a natural forward.

"It's a coaching decision," Black said.

Defending NBA scoring champion Kobe Bryant, recovering from offseason knee surgery, hopes to be ready for the season opener, but he hasn't played in the preseason.

"Our hope is he'll get to play in at least one preseason game," Black said, adding that Bryant was "probably doubtful" for Sunday night's game against the Suns in San Diego. The Lakers have one preseason game after that -- against Denver next Thursday night in Anaheim.

The Lakers have several other injured players, including Vladimir Radmanovic (sprained ligament in his right hand); Shammond Williams (abdominal strain); Aaron McKie (disc irritation and inflammation), and Von Wafer (bruised left heel).

Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who had hip replacement surgery Oct. 3, has been working part time and is expected to be on the bench for the season opener.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

 

[Warhawk]

Man, I think them getting Mo took the Kings injury bug down there with him....

Look at all the guys nursing injuries right now. Sucks for them.

 

[KingKong]

I wouldn't speak too soon. I'd rather our players get injured in the prseason than at a crucial point in the season or even worse the playoffs. We are after all the Kings.

What I do hope is that we take advantage of this and get a few games ahead of the Lakers, if possible. We need to start well coming out of the gate.

 

[Gargamel]

Kwame is a ****** flaming ******, remember. Mihm's is the only serious injury. Kwame will come back when he no longer has so much as an ingrown toenail.

 

[kennadog]

Kwame is a ****** flaming ******, remember. Mihm's is the only serious injury. Kwame will come back when he no longer has so much as an ingrown toenail.

Don't hold back on our account.

 

[Gargamel]

Don't hold back on our account.

Being like Mike.

 

[supamari0]

Kwame is a ****** flaming ******, remember. Mihm's is the only serious injury. Kwame will come back when he no longer has so much as an ingrown toenail.

I'm not sure I would describe Kwame with those words but he does seem to get injured a lot for things that most players play through and Phil Jackson has repeatedly called him out on it.

He's soft and will always be soft. He has all the potential in the world but I'm not counting him ever getting much better than he is now. I still think it was a stupid trade on the Lakers part considering Caron Butler is a pretty solid wing player but that's Kupchak for you.

 

[RaY Z]

i dont know if this is evil or not but, i love it when any laker is injured... not life threating of course but injuries that keep them out of games.. particularly a kobe injury...

 

[Gargamel]

I'm not sure I would describe Kwame with those words but he does seem to get injured a lot for things that most players play through and Phil Jackson has repeatedly called him out on it.

He's soft and will always be soft. He has all the potential in the world but I'm not counting him ever getting much better than he is now. I still think it was a stupid trade on the Lakers part considering Caron Butler is a pretty solid wing player but that's Kupchak for you.

Let me state that those were Michael Jordan's words to Kwame in practice according to a tell-all book. I was just being sarcastic.

I agree with your assessment on Kwame's lack of toughness, but I disagree with the Kupchak assessment. He already had a serviceable wing named Kobe and nothing up front. Players with the physique, height, potential of Kwame aren't available for shorties that often, so Mitch had to pull that trigger, imo. Even if Kwame was an unmitigated failure in LA, there was still a logical argument for the trade. Kwame is a decent post defender if nothing else. A lot of LA fans were griping about Mitch not trading Mihm this summer (expiring contract) after Kwame played much better at starting C, but I think his softness is probably one reason. Without Mihm, they'd be in the same position they are now when Kwame sits (forced to start Bynum or Turiaf at C).

 

[Gargamel]

i dont know if this is evil or not but, i love it when any laker is injured... not life threating of course but injuries that keep them out of games.. particularly a kobe injury...

Karma alert, karma alert. Countdown to the first Kings injury...

 

[RaY Z]

ohhh boy.....

my bad

 

[Lamar_Odom]

I still think it was a stupid trade on the Lakers part considering Caron Butler is a pretty solid wing player but that's Kupchak for you.

The Lakers needed a big man, a versatile 4-5 player who is arguably the best post defender. Butler was looking for a big pay day and for a tweener like Caron who is streaky at best, and couldn't play defense, that was a good deal for the Lakers. The Lakers weren't going to make a long term commitment to Butler. With Butler instead of Brown, I doubt they would have made the playoffs last year, much more, push the Suns to the limit. This above statement has all kinds of holes, to say the least.