The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing for their regular-season opener against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.
However, it seems that their injury report is already starting to fill up as starters Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook are all on it with injuries, albeit being probable.
As for tomorrow’s game vs. Warriors, the Lakers will be without Thomas Bryant (thumb sprain) and Troy Brown Jr (back) – and Dennis Schroder (thumb surgery), of course.
Anthony Davis (back), LeBron James (left foot) and Russell Westbrook (hamstring) are PROBABLE: pic.twitter.com/xGgAXeeS3o
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 18, 2022
This could be a worrisome sign of things to come for the Lakers as their main issue last season was staying healthy. James suited up for just 56 games as he nursed a variety of injuries, and Davis suited up for just 40 as he suffered an MCL sprain and right ankle sprain during the season.
As a result, the Lakers finished the year with an abysmal 33-39 record and missed the postseason entirely. Lakers head coach Frank Vogel was fired immediately following the conclusion of the campaign.
Some have argued that his firing was unwarranted and that no coach could’ve made the injury-riddled Lakers a playoff team that season.
The Lakers have the same roster more or less this season, however, they do have a new coach leading the ship. Darvin Ham is fresh off a title as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks and has preached a defense-first philosophy thus far.
One immediate adjustment that Ham made recently was bringing Westbrook off the bench in the team’s final preseason game against the Sacramento Kings. That certainly turned some heads and speaks to the no-nonsense attitude of Ham.
Nonetheless, Lakers fans weren’t able to get a full feel of Ham’s adjustment as the point guard exited the game with a hamstring injury five minutes into his stint. They also ended up getting dominated by a team not expected to make the playoffs.
The Lakers and Warriors will tip off at 7 p.m. PST and Ham’s starting lineup is still yet to be determined.
