According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Kyle Kuzma is traveling with the Los Angeles Lakers to Minnesota, but he is questionable for the team's Sunday game due to a lower back contusion. Kuzma's back kept him out of Friday night's game against the New York Knicks, an embarrassing loss at the hands of one of the worst teams in the league.

Kuzma isn't the only Laker struggling through injury. LeBron James is still out with a left groin strain, while Rajon Rondo is recovering from surgery on his finger.

The Lakers are 1-4 without James in the lineup and have fallen to the eighth seed in the Western Conference. It's very clear that the Lakers are a mediocre teammate without James. Add a Kuzma injury to the mix, and Los Angeles struggles against the worst teams in the league.

It's unclear exactly when James will return, but the Lakers would love to have Kuzma back in the lineup. They need to secure a win to stop the bleeding. Any lapse can significantly affect their chance at securing a playoff spot in the uber-competitive Western Conference.

There are at least 14 teams in the West who believe they can contend for a playoff spot, with the Timberwolves among those teams. Furthermore, every team that plays the shorthanded Lakers will have extra motivation to take advantage of them when they are less than their best.

Kuzma's return to the lineup would go a long way toward fixing things.