The day had finally arrived. The day that all Laker fans were looking forward too and a day he entire NBA was watching with interest. Kobe Bryant made his return after an eight month recovery period for his torn Achilles tendon on April 12th. Kobe made a very intimidating entrance; with Darth Vader’s theme song The Imperial March playing as thousands of fans chanted his name. However, Kobe’s return was not what fans were hoping for, but it was what should have been realistically expected.  Kobe looked rusty. Kobe finished the game with nine points on two for nine shooting, four assists, and eight turnovers in 28 minutes. In Kobe’s defense it was his first time playing in eight months and it is impressive that the 35 year old returned as quickly as he did. While we may never see the Kobe of old, he is still an elite basketball player and will provide a huge boost for this Lakers team. So with Kobe’s return where do the Lakers stand now?

At the beginning of the season I said that the Lakers would be in great shape if they could be .500 when Kobe returns. It turns out they are exactly that with a record of 10-10. The Lakers have far exceeded my expectations this year. With an every improving Western Conference around them I expected them to be towards the bottom of the West. They have gotten some great production out of many players but primarily from Steve Blake and Nick Young. With Steve Nash being injured, Blake has taken over the role of point guard and has been very effective. This is a Lakers team that moves the ball very well, they currently rank fourth in assists in the NBA, and this is due in large part to Blake. The Lakers are also in the top half of the league in points scored and rebounds per game. The biggest issue for the Lakers has been the defense, as they currently rank 29th in the NBA in points allowed. While Kobe’s return should help on the offensive side of the ball, the defense will still be a liability, especially in Kobe lacks the quickness and agility he possessed before. One thing we saw in the game against the Raptors is a loss of offensive flow. Kobe handled the ball for much of the time which limited Steve Blake’s ability to make plays. Obviously it is way too early to tell just how good Kobe will be when he returns fully and how he will impact the team, but it will be important to see how the offense changes when Kobe acclimates to playing again. Before the return of Kobe this Lakers team had surprisingly great chemistry and it will be important to see if that will change with Kobe’s presence.

The biggest challenge the Lakers have moving forward is the fact they play in the Western Conference. The Lakers are currently tied for 10th place in the West, but if they were in the East they’d currently own the fourth seed. The West is extremely deep and it will be a battle just to earn a playoff seed. Without Kobe the Lakers would really struggle to make the playoffs. But with Kobe, the Lakers stand a better chance. Assuming the Black Mamba can return to his level of play in previous years, the Lakers could find themselves fighting for a late playoff seed. The most important factor in just how successful the Lakers could be relies on how well Kobe is able to return to his old form. In a study done by The American Journal of Sports Medicine dating from 1988-2011 they found that there were 18 players who suffered complete ruptures of the Achilles. Of these 18, only 44 percent played longer than one season after their injury. They also found that the players who did return had their PER drop by nine points compared to their PER before the injury. These number could be quite concerning, especially considering that Kobe is 35 years old. If Kobe is unable to return to his former self, then Lakers could find themselves missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Even if the Black Mamba can return to his ridiculously high level of play the Lakers would have a slim chance to make the playoffs. The Western Conference is simply too deep and if the Lakers managed to make the playoffs they would find themselves with a quick exit. It looks as if Kobe’s and the Lakers best days are behind them. But there is one thing to remember, never doubt the Black Mamba.