Let’s cut to the chase:The Lakersshould be underdogs for their first-round NBA playoff series against the Rockets.
If you took the top-two scorers away from most playoff teams, which is the reality the Lakers faced whenLuka Doncic(left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (left oblique strain) suffered their regular-season-ending injuries April 2 and coach JJ Redick confirmed earlier this week thatthey’re sidelined “indefinitely,” they’d be in a similar position.
The preferred playoff matchup by other teams.
That’s wherethe Lakersare after a week of preparation ahead of the series against the Rockets, which starts at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Crypto.com Arena (ABC).
The Lakers are down two of their most important players. But their season isn’t over.
Buoyed by the fact that LeBron James, who’s looked as spry as he has this entire season, is back in a familiar position as the team’s No. 1 option. Or that Redick and his coaching staff have had multiple weeks to adjust to life without Doncic and Reaves.
“They’re going to prepare us,” James said. “They’ve all prepared us all year long. Won 53 games? They’ve prepared us all year. So we look forward to [continuing] to learn and learn.”
There’s optimism within the Lakers for how the next few weeks against the Rockets will go.
“The mindset for our team and for those two guys: We’re gonna try to make this season as long as possible so that we can get those guys back at some point,” Redick said. “We don’t know what that is, and that’s just our job. And their job is to do everything they can to be in a position to come back at some point. It may not work, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”
How can the Lakers stay afloat against the Rockets without Doncic and Reaves? Or at least extend the season long enough to provide the star guard duo with enough time to make their potential returns to the floor?
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
