The flu bug that hit Lakers players hard during the past week appears to have moved on for the time being with both Bynum, Bryant and Odom saying that they are feeling alright after each coming down with a bout in the past week. According to Odom, it was his initial flu that infected the team, forcing Kobe to play while sick in the bitter cold of Minneapolis against the Timberwolves and putting Andrew out of commission for the same game. Odom attributed the spread to the close quarters the team shares, especially when traveling on the Lakers jet for road games.
The flu isn’t the only thing Kobe’s been fighting as his sore shoulder continues to bother him, even though he’s able to play through the injury. According to Bryant, there’s no chance of additional structural damage, so it’s a matter of minimizing the pain at this point. When asked about the injury, Coach Jackson said he was not overly concerned.
Ronny Turiaf has been struggling with injuries of his own, recently suffering a mild concussion to go along with an existing ankle injury. Turiaf practiced with the team today and said he felt good on the court, knocking down shots and playing defense. He estimated that he was probably at about 96-97% right now.
While Jackson certainly appreciates the time off, he said that playing only two games in eight nights is perhaps a bit excessive. According to Jackson, the lengthy layover might be better suited for February when the team is already 50 plus games into the season and really needs the time off.
