Steve Blake out at least six weeks, Lakers have no healthy point guards
Steve Blake will be out at least six weeks because of a torn ligament in his right elbow, meaning all three Lakers’ point guards are injured.
Blake joins Steve Nash (nerve damage in his back) and Jordan Farmar (torn hamstring) on the sideline.
The Lakers have an open roster spot but won’t add any point guards. They’ll see how they fare on their upcoming four-game trip with Kobe Bryant at point guard, backed up by Xavier Henry.
Jodie Meeks and Nick Young could also see time at the point.
“We’ll go bigger, slower...well, not slower, but we won’t go as fast,†Lakers Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We’ll just try to pound it in and try to play a different way.â€
Neither Nash nor Farmar will play on the Lakers’ road trip -- at Oklahoma City, Charlotte, Atlanta and Memphis. Nash is out indefinitely and Farmar is out about three more weeks.
Blake was injured while stepping in front of a pass intended for Washington’s John Wall on Nov. 26. Blake said his arm got trapped by Wall’s body and pulled back. He pushed through the discomfort for another six games and sometimes shot left-handed. An MRI exam Thursday showed the extent of the damage.
Blake, 33, was having one of his best years, averaging 9.8 points and 7.7 assists in a team-high 31.9 minutes.
His injury, a torn ulnar collateral ligament, is more prevalent in baseball players, specifically pitchers. Long-time Lakers trainer Gary Vitti has rarely, if ever, seen anything like it in basketball.
“Crazy things happen and you’ve just got to try to stay positive,†Blake said. “I’m still a little bit in shock right now that I’m having another injury and have to sit out. I was really enjoying the way things were going. It is tough.â€
Blake missed 37 games last season because of an abdominal tear.
“Three you would think would be plenty enough to get you through the year,†Blake said. “For all of us to be out at the same time is pretty rare.â€
Blake will not need surgery but will get a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow.
Blake is in the last season of a four-year, $16-million contract.
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Bad timing for struggling Lakers with busy trip ahead
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