Loading ...Without Dwyane Wade for yet another game, the Heat had to rely on a flu ridden LeBron James to beat Kobe Bryant and the Lakers 98-87. Without Dwyane Wade in the lineup, this game was billed as the battle between LeBron and Kobe. LeBron James had 31 points vs. Kobe Bryant’s 24 points. Without Dwyane Wade, the Heat have gone 5-0 and they are showing no sign that they miss their star point guard. As Wade’s injuries linger, they may have to get used to playing without him.
One storyline this season that has to be explored is the rash of injuries among the league’s top players. In just about a month, a large number of players have been injured. Dwyane Wade is just one of them. Some of these injuries can be attributed to age and some can be attributed to freak accidents. But there is another potential possibility here. Has the shortened NBA season weakened the NBA’s top players? It is believed that most players were just not physically ready to play. Many of them probably didn’t expect a season at all and didn’t complete any offseason workouts. When you combine this with a short preseason, you have a recipe for disaster. Even Kobe vs. LeBron was a battle of two stars at less than the 100% that we are used to seeing. As the season continues, we may see most teams just praying that they can survive this season without any major injuries.
