The Los Angeles Lakers have been beset by injuries all season, but they might finally be in a better place coming out of the All-Star break. In a chat with reporters ahead of Friday’s game, head coach JJ Redick confirmed that the roster is at full availability for the first time this year.
“Austin won’t have a minutes restriction, and as of 35-45 seconds ago, it looks like we’ll have everyone available tomorrow,” Redick said on Thursday, via Mike Trudell.
It’s been a revolving door of availability for the Lakers, with multiple players going in and out of the lineup. Between LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves, Los Angeles has been forced to rely on their role players to deliver, leading to disappointing results. But now, that all changes.
Starting with Reaves, he’s no longer on a minute restriction that was limiting his playtime. He can play tomorrow with nothing held back, signaling his full recovery from a calf strain. With averages of 25.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game on 50.8% shooting (36.3% from three), he’s been huge for the Lakers, and his healthy status will ensure he has a chance to close this season strong.
Of course, that’s not to mention Luka Doncic’s return. Luka made a brief appearance on Sunday, but he otherwise hasn’t been seen on the court since February 5th. He had been dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of several games, but it looks like he’ll be good to go on Friday.
Against a surging Clippers team that’s recently found a rhythm, the Lakers will need more than good health to come out on top. They’ll also need seamless execution and cohesion. The good news is that, after a week of downtime, the Lakers should be in a position to play some of their best basketball in weeks.
At 33-21, we always knew they had the pieces to be a competitive team. But finally, for the first time all season, we will get to see this full Lakers roster in action, exactly how Rob Pelinka built it. With the addition of Luke Kennard at the deadline, this team is deadlier than ever, and confidence is building that they can mount a run before they have to face the coming summer of uncertainty.
All that’s left to do now is go out and prove it by making a statement and setting the proper tone over these next few weeks. Whatever happens, there are no excuses left for this Lakers team. Now that they are at full strength, expectations are higher than ever, and the fans want them to deliver.
