The Lakers will not be getting Steve Blake back anytime soon. Initial reports about Blake's abdominal strain were that he would simply need to rest and rehab the injury in order to return to the floor. As it turns out, Blake actually needs surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle, the team just announced.

Steve Blake will undergo laproscopic surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle. It is expected that Blake will miss a min of 6 to 8 weeks.

Kobe had this to say about Blake's surgery:

"It’s a big concern to me. Steve and I have always played well together. We’re going to miss him a lot."

The Lakers are, of course, still without Steve Nash as well, which means we'll be seeing a lot more of Darius Morris and Chris Duhon even when Nash returns. Duhon has done all that has been asked of him, limiting his turnovers while shooting 41% from three-point land. Morris has had some flashes of effective play but he's currently riding a cold streak that probably would have earned him a stint in the D-League if the circumstances were different.

Even though Blake is not a tremendous player, the Lakers could sure use him right now as they continue to try and find themselves under Mike D'Antoni. With this news and the weekly "setbacks" with Nash, I'm starting to wonder just how long it will be before we see a fully healthy Laker cast.