The Los Angeles Lakers have somehow found a winning streak this season. It is essential for them to hold on to the streak. But some major injury concerns to key players have slowed their progress a little bit. Moreover, the LA side lost Jarred Vanderbilt for a couple of weeks early in the preseason. Vando sustained a heel bursitis injury that ruled him out for at least half of the month. It was a major setback for the LA franchise in terms of their defensive lineup. Moreover, the new signing, Gabe Vincent, sustained a knee injury, and he will stay out for a couple of weeks, too. On top of that, Jalen Hood-Schifino, the 17th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, also seems to be not healthy.
Hence, the Lakers are under a bit of pressure despite the roster’s depth and balance. If the team keeps losing key players owing to injuries, it is natural that their roster will feel some extra pressure. Anyway, the Lakers won three games in a row. In the last game against the Utah Jazz, Cam Reddish, who had an impressive season so far, sustained a groin injury. It seemed very serious initially. Moreover, it is a big blow to the Lakers’ dynamic roster. Recently, Darvin Ham told reporters that Cam Reddish is recovering well.
Injury Status Of Cam Reddish
The Lakers coach admitted that initially, they thought the injury was severe. But the MRI came clean, and the injury was not as severe as they thought at first. However, the Lakers will lose one of their key members of the rotation for the next few games. But it seems like the LA side was successful enough to avoid the worst-case scenario. On Wednesday, against the Dallas Mavericks, Max Christie took Cam’s place. But the Mavericks won the game anyway.
In the game against the Utah Jazz, Cam Reddish could not play more than five minutes and was not able to score any points. Anyhow, the LA side was able to beat the Jazz 131-99. But for Reddish, it has been a nice turnaround after a slow start to his career. He finally found himself at home in the Lakers franchise. Reddish signed a two-year deal with the LA side in July. He proved that he plays better in the starting lineup than when he comes off the bench. Cam’s average clearly went up to 10 points and 2.2 steals in the four games as a starter.
Can Lakers Pull Things Back In Their Favor Despite Increasing Injury Concerns
Moreover, the purple and gold lost six games early in the season. It was a kind of wake-up call for the front office to look for reinforcements. The Lakers may soon sign a deal with the Chicago Bulls for Zach LaVine or the former Laker Alex Caruso. It will be interesting to see what assets the 17-time champions will have to give up to deal with the Bulls.
But the injuries are not letting the front office to hope for the best. Anyhow, the Lakers really enjoyed blowing out the Jazz and maintaining their unbeaten streak in the in-season tournament. They can even go on to win the in-season tournament if they are able to maintain the streak.
