Injuries are a part of sports, and the worst thing is that – most of the time – they can’t be avoided. Injuries just happen and athletes and their teams have to deal with them.
However, every now and then, those injuries wound up being a blessing in disguise. That’s because it forces the rest of the team to come together as a unit, and sometimes even an unexpected hero steps up and proves his worth to the coach and his peers.
That could be the case with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Matt Barnes, as he believes that missing both LeBron James and Anthony Davis could actually be good for them as they get ready for the playoffs:
“They stayed above water and that’s what you want. Obviously missing two stars, the best duo in the game… But what I really like is that this is going to help come playoff time. These guys are all going to be in rhythm. It’s not going to take LeBron to get back in rhythm. We’re going to see how long it takes AD to get back in rhythm,” Barnes said on ESPN’s The Jump.
Then again, Barnes also believes that it will take another guy for the Lakers to step up and defend their championship, even when James and Davis are ready to go again:
“But they’re going to need a third guy. Whether it’s Kuzma, Schroder, it can be Harrell sometimes. To me, their most important aspect is being healthy. No matter how far they slide down if they’re healthy, they’re going to remain the favorites in the West,” he concluded.
There’s no doubt that the Lakers have missed their two superstars but they’ve also shown a lot of character and competed in most games without their duo. So, look out, the Lakers are getting healthy and that’s bad news for the rest of the league.
