Sports

Howard has been criticized for his tight-lipped nature regarding his injury, but the reality is it's not something that's going to go away and it's merely a pain tolerance issue at this point. Howard doesn't want to create a "circus" like atmosphere, but he's going to be grilled with questions about his health and future throughout the season. The Lakers could certainly use him as they'll almost certainly be without Pau Gasol (foot) and are already without Jordan Hill (hip), but if he doesn't play, Earl Clark, Antawn Jamison and Metta World Peace are all staring at sizable minutes.