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Despite being 6-1 the Los Angeles Lakers have not played up to their ability so far this season, but it not for a lacking trying as they have been struggling with some injuries problems in their frontcourt throughout the first seven games of the season.

Forward Pau Gasol has yet to make his debut for the Lakers this season due to nagging hamstring injury that just hasn’t been healing properly. The last update for Gasol’s injured right hamstring was that he was able to start participating in basketball related activities, but still had to sit out last Friday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies which the Lakers won with relative ease 114-98. After the Grizzlies game there was still no improvement and Gasol had to sit out for the seventh time this season against the New Orleans Hornets which was another easy win for Kobe Bryant and company 104-88.

Even though Pau has been watching from the bench in street clothes, Kobe has been able to pick up the slack in the scoring column with three 41 point games this sesaon. The Lakers will miss Pau’s presence even more now though as Andrew Bynum has also suffered an injury to his elbow and has also sat out the last two games against Memphis and New Orleans.

Fortunately for the Lakers backup center DJ Mbenga has been able to shoulder the load in the paint in place of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum as he has had some career highs in points, rebounds and blocked shots as of late.

Against the Memphis Grizzlies was beast inside the paint with 13 rebounds and four blocks shots in 30 minutes on the floor. Once again Mbenga had another big night the following Sunday in the win over New Orleans as he scored 10 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and had four blocked shots for the second straight game.

Mbenga has played well picking up the slack for the injured Gasol and Bynum, but I doubt this kind of production from DJ will last as the Lakers really need to get their bread and butter big men back in the mix.

Unfortunately, the Lakers got some bad news Wednesday hearing that they might be without Pau Gasol all the way up to their Christmas Day matchup against Shaq and LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers.

This is nothing, but bad news for the Los Angeles Lakers. With news of Gasol possibly sitting out until Christmas we might see the Lakers try to bring in a free agent to fill the void. Whatever the case may be, the Lakers will have their work cut out for them with the absence of Gasol for that amount of time.