The injury bug has not been kind to the Los Angeles Lakers in recent seasons.
In the 2020-21 campaign, the team looked like a real title contender before injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis changed everything. Los Angeles ultimately took a first-round exit in the 2021 playoffs.
In the 2021-22 season, the Lakers never looked like real title contenders, and injuries were once again a major reason why. James appeared in just 56 games while Davis appeared in 40, and some other players (like Kendrick Nunn) also dealt with availability issues.
This season, the Lakers are hoping that their injury luck will change. They’re going to need to stay healthy if they want to make some noise in the Western Conference.
Unfortunately, it sounds like one key player for L.A. may already be dealing with a long-term issue. Veteran guard Dennis Schroder is dealing with a finger injury, and NBA insider Shams Charania recently offered a not-so-promising update on the matter.
"The Lakers do have some worry that this could be a long-term injury for him."
– @ShamsCharania on Dennis Schroder pic.twitter.com/p4nZ9zsZ6w
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 14, 2022
Schroder, who is with the Lakers for the second time in his career, is certainly hoping that his finger injury won’t keep him off the floor for too long. More information on his status will likely become available soon, but for now, Lakers fans will just have to cross their fingers.
Last season, Schroder averaged 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. The 29-year-old knocked down 43.1 percent of his shots from the field and 34.4 percent of his shots from deep.
The good news for L.A. is that the team has no shortage of guards. Players like Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and Nunn should be able to give the Lakers plenty of minutes if Schroder has to miss a notable period of time.
The start of the 2022-23 regular season will be here in the blink of an eye, as the Lakers are set to open their season in just a few days. They’ll face the Golden State Warriors on the road on Oct. 18 to get things started this season.
Time will tell how long Lakers fans will have to wait to see Schroder take the floor.
