The Los Angeles Lakers need a boost. They came back to beat the Los Angeles Clippers in OT on Wednesday, which was very inspiring. But on Saturday, they were too lazy to play hard, and the Orlando Magic beat them 120-101.
They have had trouble with not being healthy. Guard Gabe Vincent, forwards Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, and Taurean Prince, and center Rui Hachimura have all been out lately.
Vanderbilt’s return will happen “later rather than sooner,” according to Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. However, Prince will be back in the mix on Monday when the Lakers play the Miami Heat.
Unfortunately, Hachimura and Vincent will still be out, and backup center Jaxson Hayes might not be able to play because he sprained his ankle.
While getting hurt early in the season is better than later, L.A. is starting to have a lot of them, which could lead to a lack of depth that could have an effect on other teams. It was planned that LeBron James would play less this season, but he is already averaging 35.7 minutes per game. This is partly because the team doesn’t have many other good players.