The Los Angeles Lakers have been dealing with so many injury issues to begin the season. LeBron James is already out of action to begin the campaign as he deals with sciatica, and then after their win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, Luka Doncic joined James on the mend after suffering multiple injuries that will now keep him out for over a week. The good news is that the Lakers remained on the winning track, as Austin Reaves' career-best 51-point outing carried them to a 127-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
As good as the vibes are in the locker room following the Lakers' win, a development during the Kings game is sure to dampen their mood. In particular, Gabe Vincent had to exit proceedings early with an ankle injury. And just to make matters worse, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Vincent was reportedly wearing a protective boot on his left foot, which could suggest that a multi-game absence is in the offing for the veteran guard.
The Lakers' depth will be tested this early in the season, and it's up to the rest of the team's healthy players to hold down the fort as they wait for some of their key guys to recover.
Vincent played just 19 minutes before exiting their win against the Kings, and it's not quite clear whom head coach JJ Redick will be trusting to fill the 29-year-old guard's minutes. Marcus Smart might receive another boost in minutes, but at this point, pushing Smart this early in the season may not be the best idea considering how injury-prone he's been over the past few seasons.
Guys like Dalton Knecht and Jake LaRavia will have to step up if Vincent were to miss an extended period of time.
Austin Reaves keeps the injury-ravaged Lakers afloat
Any team missing their two best players would find it difficult to grab a win, let alone on the road. But the Lakers' odd roster construction is paying off. It may not be the best idea to pair Doncic with many ballhandlers around him, but when injury strikes, this is where Reaves' ability to be a one-man offense stands out.
Reaves put up 51 points on 12-22 shooting from the field, which is simply absurd for anyone, let alone an undrafted player who slipped through the cracks for 29 other teams in the NBA. The 27-year-old guard is up for a new contract soon, and no one should be surprised if his next deal is worth around $35 million per annum.
