Lakers fans were happy to see Steve Nash and Steve Blake return to the team last week. Unfortunately, the two have struggled to stay healthy since they came back.
Nash failed to finish his second consecutive game thanks to his continuing nerve issue in his leg. Blake, meanwhile, continues to feel pain in his elbow, according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Blake admitted that he still feels pain in his elbow, but the most difficult thing for him is that it limits his ability to practice.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) February 12, 2014
Blake got his elbow caught between a screen in the third quarter of tonight’s loss to the Utah Jazz and was clearly in pain. Though he would return, he shot only 2-11 from the field tonight and is shooting only 32 percent since returning.
Blake has made up for it in other ways, averaging eight assists and nearly three steals since returning
Stopping Blake from practicing not only hurts Blake, but the entire Lakers team. With so few players available, it limits what the Lakers can work on in practice, making them less prepared in certain situations.
It would seem unlikely that Blake is in any danger of missing Thursday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder as he has already played through a number of minor injuries and is one of the tougher Laker players.
Needless to say, this All-Star break can’t come quick enough as these broken Lakers need some time to heal up.
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