Any team would feel justifiably hard done by if its star player is sidelined by injury. But losing two for the same reason? Three? No wonder Lakers fans are distraught.
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Ever since LeBron James went off with a groin injury, things haven’t been going right for the Lakers. All the momentum that they had built up over the last two months has fizzled out. They have lost 4 in a row and have slid from the second to the fifth seed position.
But Paul Pierce apparently couldn’t be enjoying this more. When the Celtics legend was asked by Speak podcast host Joy Taylor whether he “felt bad for the Lakers”, Pierce actually burst out laughing!
“Feel bad for the Lakers? Pssh,” he said and chortled some more.
But Pierce is a pro and recovered his composure quickly enough. Answering Taylor’s question more seriously, he felt the Lakers’ hype was justified because of the kind of basketball they’ve been playing over the past two months.
He pointed out that, while they’ve been hit hard by injuries and scheduling issues, the Lakers were called contenders for a reason. And that just doesn’t just disappear overnight.
“This is one of the toughest stretches of the season,” he said. “So it’s just bad timing. I don’t think we got ahead of ourselves with the Lakers. They gave us a good 2-3 weeks of good basketball when they were healthy.”
The Lakers are currently missing 3 of their starters in LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes. Pierce believes their fitness will be crucial, as this same Lakers team had shown what they’re capable of over the last two months when at full strength.
There’s also the looming question of avoiding the play-in. This had looked like a certainty before LeBron’s injury. LA now sits in the 5th seed, just 2.5 games ahead of the 6th-seed Warriors.
The Lakers just need to do damage control until their main players are back in the lineup. That may be easier said than done with such a tough remaining schedule that includes 5 sets of back-to-backs. They’ll have to play with the intensity they’ve come to show under JJ Redick and hope their role players can step up and deliver.
Obviously, Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic will be forced to do a lot of the heavy lifting on offense, but their defensive frailties are well-known.
The Lakers have no shortage of defensive-minded players, with Jarred Vanderbilt, Jordan Goodwin, and Gabe Vincent proving their worth. Their upcoming stretch will test not only their mettle and nerve but also Redick’s coaching.
Will he be able to stop the bleeding and bring the Lakers back into the marauding form they had displayed over the last two months, or will they find themselves in an all-too-familiar setting—the play-in tournament?
