Jason Burgos
At the worst possible time in the year, injuries are starting to pile up for the Los Angeles Lakers.
After being a good but inconsistent team for much of the season, the Lakers have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA since early March. Following a March 5 defeat to the Denver Nuggets, LA won 13 of its next 14, including decisive wins over the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Houston Rockets (twice).
Unfortunately, the good vibes and confidence were derailed this week when top star Luka Doncic suffered a hamstring injury that will sideline him for at least the last five games of the regular season. The news means LA will be without a player averaging 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per night for a little while. Well, it seems he isn’t the only key player Lakers fans need to worry about.
Austin Reaves is now dealing with an injury, too?
“Austin Reaves got imaging on his oblique Saturday, and his status for Lakers vs Mavericks tomorrow is TBD. Marcus Smart is also TBD with an ankle injury,” LA Times Lakers reporter Brad Turner reported on Saturday afternoon.
Obviously, both players are listed as to be determined, which can be seen as a positive. It isn’t a diagnosis of being out for multiple days, weeks, or months. But they are both tricky injuries at a bad time.
Smart has already missed a game this week due to an injured joint. It’s an injury that can’t be rushed, and the team must make sure he is ready for the playoffs when they start in a couple of weeks. And the 32-year-old should be. However, Reaves is a bigger concern.
The forward’s oblique is a new addition to the injury report, and even worse to have now than Smart’s ankle. A Grade 1 pull could lead to being sidelined for up to three weeks. While a moderate strain or tear might mean up to two months on the sidelines.
Since Reaves hasn’t been listed as out for the Mavericks game, he seems to have a Grade 1 strain. However, it does not rule out a nightmare scenario where the Lakers could be without their top two scorers for the rest of the season and possibly a game or two in the NBA Playoffs.
