The Lakers might just be cursed to always have an injury.
After a short string of games where they had a clean injury report, they came away from Thursday’s game against the Nuggets with plenty of bumps and bruises to go along with their loss. Two starters did not finish the game, one being LeBron, who suffered an elbow injury late in the contest.
The other, perhaps more serious injury was Deandre Ayton, who only played the opening 4:30 of the game before leaving with a knee injury. Ayton was eventually ruled out at halftime.
After the game, head coach JJ Redick said Ayton was dealing with left knee soreness, leading to his early exit.
With the caveat being that Redick could have misspoke without having all the info immediately after the game, this is different from the knee soreness he dealt with earlier this season. In early February, Ayton dealt with right knee soreness that limited him to one appearance in the team’s four games prior to the All-Star break.
It’s possible this is the same injury resurfacing, but either way, it’s concerning. As much as Ayton has struggled in recent weeks, when he was at his best early in the season, the team was at its best.
That being said, in his absence, Jaxson Hayes looked fantastic against the Nuggets. Maxi Kleber has also had some solid showings in recent games, though he’s been dealing with a back injury. The Lakers found success in Denver with a small ball lineup as well.
While the Lakers do clearly have options they can turn to, any hit to the team’s depth is a blow, especially as they look to make their playoff push.