Should Lakers start worrying?
For the past month, life was good for the Lakers and their fans. They got Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic out of nowhere, Austin Reaves started playing like a man possessed, and LeBron James continued doing what he has been doing for two decades – being unstoppable. An eight-game winning streak, the league’s best defense, everything was clicking.
And then, Saturday happened.
Losing to the Celtics? Not ideal, but not the end of the world. Lakers’ defense failing to control Jaylen Brown-Jayson Tatum didn’t come as shock, but the real nightmare? LeBron and Luka both getting injured in the same game.
The duo had been the engine of the Lakers’ offense from the moment they stepped on the court together and continued their routine against Celtics. In the first half, the LeBron-Luka duo combined for 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists. Even after a woeful third quarter, they had the team back in the fight, until LeBron had to walk off with a groin injury. He didn’t return.
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Luka, who was already dealing with lower back issues before the game, still put up 34 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 37 minutes. But by the end, he looked uncomfortable, which is not what anyone wanted to see.
Now, LeBron is expected to miss 1-2 weeks. Luka’s status? Still up in the air. And the Lakers’ schedule? Brutal.
After Monday’s game against Brooklyn, they play six games in eight days. Four of those are against Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks.
The Lakers are still sitting second in the West with 20 games to go. But with LeBron and Luka injured, things could turn ugly fast. Is it time to panic? Not yet. But if things don’t go their way soon, the alarm bells will start ringing.
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