The health bug is biting the Los Angeles Lakers once again. Cam Reddish didn't start the second half of his team's game against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, the Lakers eventually ruling him out for good with left knee soreness, per Michael Corvo of ClutchPoints.
The extent of Reddish's injury is unclear, as is whether it's the result of a specific incident that took place against Phoenix or general wear and tear. Either way, it bears mentioning that Los Angeles was 14 points when Reddish wasn't on the floor for the start of the third quarter, seemingly en route to a blowout loss. There's no use in Reddish playing through pain in a regular season game the Lakers had little chance of winning.
For now, simply count Reddish's ailment as the latest in a long line of maladies to the supporting cast of LeBron James and Anthony Davis that have prevented Los Angeles from establishing the on-court continuity and chemistry to compete toward the top of the Western Conference. Gabe Vincent has barely played all season and will remain sidelined at least another month, while Rui Hachimura missed his fifth straight game on Thursday. with a left calf strain. Jarred Vanderbilt was out for the first five weeks of the season, too.
“Injuries are a real part of professional sports,” Darvin Ham said last week. “And our performance team, they bust their behinds to make sure our players are available and able to play at a high level. But guys have physical issues that sometimes … playing our game … you're going to subject your body to certain issues.”
Los Angeles' loss to Phoenix pushes its record back below .500 to 19-20.
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