The Lakers are having a nightmare of a season, and their miseries continue after the victory over the Miami heat on Wednesday. Even though the win helped them calm themselves down in the horrifying situation, they could not stay in peace for long as many of their primary players made their way into the injury report list.
A total of seven players find themselves on the injury report, including LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis (duh), Lonnie Walker IV, Troy Brown Jr., Damian Jones, and Austin Reaves.
Lakers injury update for tomorrow vs. Atlanta: pic.twitter.com/gyJsJfPyaS
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 6, 2023
What sort of injuries are the players struggling with?
It looks like Westbrook and LeBron will sit this one out due to injuries. LeBron was absent from Wednesday’s win over the Miami Heat due to an illness that was not COVID; additionally, he had been listed on the injury report with ankle soreness. Westbrook left Monday’s win against the Hornets early because of “foot soreness,” but he returned to produce 21 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in Tuesday’s win over the Heat.
Moreover, Antony Davis has been out of the game for a while now– the foot injury that Anthony Davis sustained on the 16th of December against the Denver Nuggets has kept him out of action. A week later, news broke that AD would be out indefinitely, with no estimated return date.
On the other hand, with a left quad strain, Troy Brown Jr.’s status for Thursday’s game is uncertain after he exited in the second half on Wednesday. Furthermore, following a toe injury, backup center Damian Jones is also doubtful.
Until the 29th of December, Lonnie Walker IV has been playing well for the Lakers- he played 29 matches where he scored an average of 14.7 points per game with the Lakers in bad nick; his contribution was quite significant.
However, since the 31st of December, the player has missed all the games and is likely to miss the next one, too, as he has left knee issues- he first had soreness, and following that, he now has tendonitis.
Having been sidelined with a left hamstring injury, Austin Reaves’s absence on Friday is a genuine shock. Reaves didn’t address the issue after the Lakers’ Wednesday game, and the team didn’t practice on Thursday, so it’s unclear when exactly he strained his hamstring.
With no hope remaining the Lakers seem down and out in this tournament and only a miracle can save them in the following games. Can the Lakers produce some magic? Only time will tell. Till then stay tuned.
