It is time for Kobe Bryant to swallow his pride and put the basketball shoes in a lock box for the next 18 days. Long term this is what is best for the Los Angeles Lakers to win their second straight NBA title.

For Kobe it should no longer be about any individual accomplishments. Another MVP award does nothing for his legacy; all that matters is the amount of rings he puts on his fingers.

If Bryant were to sit the next 18 days he only misses six games and he would be back for the Sunday afternoon showdown on ABC against the Denver Nuggets February 28th.

What allows Kobe to rest and not have to worry about the Lakers falling out of the top seed in the West is even without him Los Angeles is still a 50 win basketball team. They would not be able to win an NBA Championship, but led by Pau Gasol the Lakers would no question still win the Pacific Division.

In 2003-04 the Memphis Grizzlies won 50 games with this roster:

Pau Gasol
James Posey
Bonzi Wells
Mike Miller
Jason Williams (point guard that is currently on the Orlando Magic)
Stromile Swift
Shane Battier
Lorenzen Wright
Wesley Person
Bo Outlaw
Jake Tsakalidis
Theron Smith
Troy Bell
Earl Watson
Dahntay Jones
Ryan Humphrey

Here is the Lakers 2009-10 roster minus Kobe Bryant:

Pau Gasol
Lamar Odom
Ron Artest
Derek Fisher
Andrew Bynum
Shannon Brown
Jordan Farmer
D.J. Mbenga
Adam Morrison
Josh Powell
Sasha Vujacic
Luke Walton

If you took Odom, Artest, or Bynum and put them on the Grizzlies 03-04 team they immediately become the second best player on the team. Hands down, even without Kobe Bryant, the Lakers are better than a 50 win Grizzlies team that revolved around Pau Gasol.

Let’s put two and two together here, should Bryant play injured or rest up the next couple weeks and get his body regular for the playoffs while Gasol and co keep the team afloat?

I’m not going to even answer that question, just use common sense.

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