Here is the official medical statement from the Lakers:
Lakers forward Lamar Odom was examined today by team physician Dr. Steve Lombardo and MRI results show that Odom has a bone bruise in his right knee. Odom will not play in tonight’s game in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors, and his status beyond that is listed as day-to-day.
There’s some very good news here — it is not structural damage, so no surgery. (With Odom a free agent after the season, that is huge for him.) On a lesser note, seeing what Odom wears on the sidelines for the next week or three also will be entertaining.
How long Odom is out depends on the severity of the bruise. Complicating the matter a little is this is the same knee where Odom battles tendonitis. It could be a week, it could be a month. (There are also severe bone bruises that don’t heal for months, but the way he got this injury doesn’t really look like that.)
Bone bruises are called periosteal. To quote the Sports Injury Blog: What happens in a bone bruise is a compressive force pushes the in on itself. When this happens the outer layer of the bone, which is fibrous, breaks down. This leads to leaking of fluid.
Here’s what I do know. First, bone bruises hurt like a son of a %&#$$. And, you can’t do a ton until they heal, it just takes time.
On the court, this is why Josh Powell is getting paid. He is a very solid, professional NBA player who is going to have to step in — he can’t do all the things Odom can, but he can be a solid four off the bench. And that should be enough most nights.
Nomuskles and others said it in the comments — for all those that think Lamar Odom is holding this team back, have scapegoated him for the Lakers problems, you are about to see just how much they need him. It started last night.
emh101 says
Always been a fan and proponent of Odom. Hope to see him back soon. Hope to see the Lakers with a laser focus to win the next few without him.
PJ says
Let us hope LO is not out very long. Despite what many on this site feel, the Lakers do need him.
clutch824 says
Ahh, a nice scapegoat reference. No matter what the feelings, I don’t think any Laker fan would rather have NO player instead of A player. But I’m waiting to see anyway.
kneejerkNBA says
Lamar’s filled his role nicely this year, even if he didn’t put up big numbers.
Darius says
I am a LO guy. Everyone who’s read anything I’ve ever posted on this site when his name comes up knows this. We need this guy. I am not going fluff it up with what he brings to the table or how his absence affects our rotations or anything else. We need this guy. I’m happy it’s day to day and I hope he’s back soon. We need this guy.
J.D. Hastings says
All I can think to say is : (
On the other hand if anybody here wants to complain to a Warriors fan about the injuries the Lakers are suffering through you will be risking getting slapped. Hard.
Every team goes through stretches like this (For the Lakers it seems like every January/February), it’s just a matter of maintaining.
wondahbap says
You know what I find funny?
Four of their 6 losses have come in the 1st game of back to backs. Shouldn’t be the other way around?
barry g says
lakers are 2-4 on the 1st game and 5-1 on the 2nd game of back-to-backs. don’t know what that means, really.
ultimately, injuries are a part of NBA life. and like other posters have mentioned, we’ve had it WAY better than other teams in the league. i just look at it as an opportunity for the bench guys to grow their games, and hopefully all of it makes us a more complete and seasoned team come playoff time (at which point no lakers are allowed to be injured anymore).
kwame a. says
My no LO/Luke/Jordan rotation:
pg: fish/machine
sg: kobe/machine/cobra
sf: vlad/ariza
pf: pau/powell (i think when pau and powell are in the game together the annoucners should just call him Josh)
c: bynum/pau/powell/mihm
We may need to sign someone if LO and Luke are out more than a week or two.
Reed says
This probably means Bynum gets the 35 minutes he wants for a while (absent foul trouble). It will be interesting to see if this helps or hurts his production.
Last night’s loss, frustrating as it was, doesn’t affect me. When a great team gets career nights from their two stars, you just tip your cap. If other teams players are having career nights every night, then you have a problem (and also might be starting Smush Parker).
wondahbap says
I think we’ll see Kobe taking over the scoring lead in the time we have LO/Luke/Jordan out.
What upset me about last night was Kobe was hot lke only he gets, and we had to watch Fish and Ariza take turn jacking up three’s. Granted, a couple were made, but too many were taken, and if it wasn’t Kobe taking the shot, then at least get the ball to Pau. Defense side, that’s why we lost. We didn’t take advantage of our advantages.
Joe says
7- I think this game is gonna be a tough game on a back to back night because Kobe played more minutes than usual the other night. On top of that, the Warriors are really gonna force the Laker defense to move. I am really worried about tonights game..
Rick says
9- Well, Marbury might be available …(heh heh)
MannyP13 says
I sure hope this is a “minor” bone bruise. I’m just worried because the “bone bruise” part of Bynum’s injury is what kept him from coming back. I just hope he is back for Boston (Feb 5) because we are going to need him!
wondahbap says
We’re still worried about the Boston game?
The fact that we play them in the 4th road game in the span of 6 days,which also happens to be the 2nd game of a back to back, PLUS the fact that Boston looks terrible right now just took away some luster for me.
I want to go to that game, but all of those factors make me hesitant to shell out good money for a trap game.
P. Ami says
Hope LO is back soon.
Re: “you are about to see just how much they need him. It started last night.”
What I notice is that when Ariza’s energy is a bit off (like when he had the flu a few weeks back or last night) the whole team seems a bit sleepy. Last night’s problems began before LO was injured and his absence only exasperated what was a depressed effort by the team as a whole (Kobe and Sasha exempt). I’m sure they’ll be fine tonight.
Re: taking the luster off the Celtics win.
I’ve been watching the C’s effect on teams and fans alike since this season began, and David Thorpe’s chat mentions this as well, but people hate the C’s. You could see it in the Charlotte game last night. I heard it from Portland fans on and since Christmas. I know how I feel about them. The C’s have been pissing people off with their cheap shots, their disrespectful behavior and their general bullying. When we had Shaq, we had a team with every opportunity to be a bully and it wasn’t done with the same weird insecurity that the Celtics have been displaying. I read someone say about KG that he likes to get in people’s face and body up on people but if you stand up to him and give him some of his own medicine he backs down. I think the Lakers may have given the C’s some of their own medicine on Christmas and to a certain extent their whole team has backed down a bit. That is not to say they won’t get it together. I expect them to play the Cavs in the Eastern finals but, I think this exposes some element of KG’s unclutch persona and a weakness that can and has now been exploited by the league.
Underbruin says
Question for Kurt and others –
Let’s say, during Odom’s absence, the Lakers were to win every game. Keep him out until the Clips game on the 21st – 2 weeks of rest seems reasonable. That means the upcoming stretch includes games against Miami, Houston, SA, Orlando, and Cleveland (side note – yikes…). Or even if the team goes 5-2 or 6-1 against that bunch, which would be a pretty pleasant outcome considering the competition.
Would you then be forced to admit that Lamar is not so vital as you once believed? Or would you claim small sample size?
And if it’s the latter, doesn’t that mean that your proclamations of Lamar’s importance being proved in the upcoming games are equally as vulnerable to the same counter-argument?
I actually like Odom a lot – I think he’s a great player, and honestly believe he deserves a lot of commendation for his time here. But he’s expensive, and a valuable piece – both for his contract, and his relative value for other teams vs L.A. So I’m not quite as sold as some folks on the “must keep Lamar” train.
Not saying the upcoming games prove -anything- one way or another. Simply pointing out that trying to use a week or two of games as proof of pretty much anything is… difficult.
kwame a. says
15-If you go to that Boston game, can you stop by Mike’s Pastry and fedex me some delicious desserts, thanks.
Sal says
where is drrayeye ? havent seen any comments from the good ol’ doc in a while…
Kurt says
Warriors post up.
MannyP13 says
I don’t care if Boston looses every game between now and Feb 5th. I still want our Lakers to beat them… and beat them badly. I am also secretely hoping that Powell, Odom or Sasha “accidentally” throw a mean elbow that just happens to lay Garnett out. Hehehehe.
drrayeye says
19 Sal,
I’m here–but my comments usually come very late. This time without Lamar will be interesting. We already saw a bit of Powell and even the Sun as well as the ubiquitous Machine (not yet fully tuned up). Even without Luke, Jordan, and Lamar, the Lakers are tough!