NBA Rumors: Will Kobe Bryant Miss Tuesday's Opener For Los Angeles Lakers?

After an offseason filled with plenty of excitement surrounding the acquisitions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, expectations are high for the Los Angeles Lakers heading into the 2012-13 season. The Lakers will kick off their season on Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks, but one of the hottest NBA rumors heading into the game is the possibility of playing without their top player–Kobe Bryant.

Bryant sat out of practice once again on Monday while recovering from a foot injury suffered in a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings and will be a game-time decision for opening night on Tuesday. Obviously, Bryant will be the main factor when it comes to whether or not Los Angeles can live up to the expectations of representing the Western Conference in the NBA Finals this year, but the Lakers need to be smart about this situation to avoid any possibility of making the injury worse.

Despite their disappointing 0-8 record during the preseason, the Lakers certainly have enough weapons to get by on Tuesday if Bryant is unable to go. With a starting lineup consisting of Nash, Howard, and Pau Gasol, Los Angeles can certainly adjust to playing without Bryant in the lineup for at least one game.

Plus, the Mavericks will be starting off the season without star player Dirk Nowitzki as he continues to recover from knee surgery–so the Lakers should be able to use that to their advantage as well when taking Bryant’s health into consideration.

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