Lakers Pau Gasol out 6-8 weeks; Kobe says Dwight Howard needs to play through shoulder injury

Injuries continue to plague the Lakers big men this season. Pau Gasol will be out 6-8 weeks after suffering a partial tear of his plantar fascia. The injury happened late in the fourth quarter Tuesday night as the Lakers matched up against the Nets. The Lakers are already without the services of back up forward Jordan Hill and Dwight Howard who missed his third game in a row because of his shoulder labrum injury.

Per Lakers PR, Pau will fly to LA on Thursday to see their team doctors.

Kobe Bryant spoke up saying that Dwight needs to man up and play through the injury.

“I think it’s an experience thing,” Bryant said. “Like for me, when I was growing up in high school and middle school, unfortunately but fortunately, I dealt with injuries. Not injuries that are debilitating, but injuries that you have to play through and you have to manage the pain. So when you go through those things, you learn your body and you know what you can push through and know what you can’t push through.

“But Dwight’s never been hurt. … So when you have an injury that hurts you, but you can play through it, that’s something that you have to balance out and manage. He’s never had to do that.”

Dwight was asked if he’ll play at the Lakers next game against the Celtics. He wasn’t ready to give an answer.  The Lakers next two games on this road trip following Thursday’s game in Boston will be Friday against the Bobcats and Sunday against the Heat.

An injured Pau means the Lakers might just have to stand pat with what they have for the remainder of the season. I hope Antwan Jamison has been keeping his conditioning up.