After an easy win against the Spurs on Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping for some major reinforcements to close out the rest of their homestand. With the Lakers down two starters (LeBron James and Rui Hachimura), they are struggling to keep up with the competition but the players are set to return this week to provide a much-needed boost in the frontcourt.
“While the results haven’t always been there, the Lakers are trusting their new offensive process,” wrote Lakers insider Jovan Buha. “[Luka] Doncic is an offense unto himself, and it takes time to incorporate that type of talent 50-plus games into a season. Once James and Rui Hachimura return, which could be by the end of the week, the Lakers will be well-positioned to finally reach their offensive ceiling.”
Luka’s return has worked miracles for the Lakers, who went from sixth in the West up to fourth in the standings at 42-25. Since trading for Doncic mid-season, the Lakers have become a potent offensive team but they have yet to realize their full potential.
Thanks to injuries, the Lakers’ run together has been severely limited. LeBron and Luka played just a handful of games before being split and the roster hasn’t been fully available for over a week.
For LeBron, he’s still dealing with a groin injury that he suffered against the Celtics on March 8. He had to leave the game early in the fourth quarter and he hasn’t been back since.
At 40 years old, the Lakers have opted to take more of a cautious approach with the King and early reports indicated it would take weeks for them to even consider putting LeBron back in action. Fortunately, his recovery has progressed well and now LeBron is set to return as early as this week. The 40-year-old star is averaging 25.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.5 assists per game on 51.7% shooting.
In the case of Rui Hachimura, the Lakers have already ruled him out for Wednesday after suffering a left patellar tendinopathy. The 27-year-old forward has returned to 3-on-3 workouts and he’s on the mend now after missing the past 11 games.
LeBron and Rui are only just a small scope of the Lakers’ ongoing injury struggles this year. Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Austin Reaves have all missed some time this season and it has surely stalled the transition process for Doncic.
The good news is that the Lakers are on the verge of being whole again. When LeBron and Hacimura finally come back, the Lakers will be at full strength and they’ll have everything they need to make a lengthy playoff run.
As one of the best teams in the West this year, the Lakers have a chance to beat anybody but the path ahead is anything but easy. As squads like the Nuggets, Thunder, Rockets, and Grizzlies compete for the ultimate prize, the margin for error is slimmer than ever and any more injuries to their core could destroy all the momentum they’ve built this season.
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