The injury bug continues to pose a dangerous threat to the Los Angeles Lakers as their starting center Jaxson Hayes will miss his second straight game.
The Lakers have listed Hayes out with a right knee contusion in the NBA official injury report. Hayes is the third starter out for the Lakers in their Monday (March 10) road game against the Brooklyn Nets. He joins LeBron James (left groin strain) and Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy) in the Lakers’ expanding injury list that also includes Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle soreness) and Maxi Kleber (right foot surgery recovery).
In 19 starts this season, Hayes averaged 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks in 24.2 minutes. He’s become a vertical lob threat for Luka Dončić.
Hayes sustained the injury before fouling out in overtime of their 113-109 win over the New York Knicks at home on March 6.
“Don’t think it’s anything serious,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said before their 111-101 loss in Boston on March 8. “We’ve just been monitoring his swelling and his mobility. He’ll be out. And hopefully, he’s back soon.”
Without Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt and Trey Jemison III could start in the Lakers’ thin frontline if Redick opts for size. If he rolls with a small-ball lineup, Vanderbilt could start at center with Dalton Knecht or Gabe Vincent getting a spot start.
Alex Len, their buyout market pickup, hasn’t panned out for the Lakers. The 7-foot Len only averaged 1.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 10 minutes across four games.
Luka Questionable to Play vs. Nets
The Lakers are also facing the possibility of Dončić sitting out in Brooklyn. The Slovenian star is questionable to play due to back soreness.
The ABC broadcast showed Dončić stretching his back at one point during their crushing 111-101 loss to their arch-rival Boston Celtics but he downplayed it during his postgame press conference.
“It’s something I’m dealing with, but I’m fine,” Dončić told reporters.
If Dončić sits out, Austin Reaves, playing on his third game back from a calf injury, has to replicate his 45-point heroics in the Lakers’ gusty 124-117 win against the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 8. The Nets (21-42), though not as good as the Pacers (35-27), are not to be taken lightly as they play hard under rookie head coach Jordi Fernandez.
Reaves will face his former Lakers backcourt mate D’Angelo Russell, who is averaging 14.1 points, 5.7 assists and 2.8 rebounds.
Silver Linings in LeBron’s Injury
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, James is expected to miss at least one to two weeks with his groin injury.
“Typically with this soft tissue injury, it leads to weeks-long of absences and could be potentially an extended period of time for LeBron James. He will be evaluated in the next 24 hours, but unlike in 2018 when he had that groin tear, I’m told he did not hear a pop last night in Boston,” Charania said on “NBA Countdown” on ABC.
James previously had the same injury which led to a 17-game absence during the 2018-19 season, his first year with the Lakers. The Lakers were fourth in the Western Conference at the time of James’ first groin injury. Without him, a young Lakers team back then went 5-12 and ultimately fell out of contention for the playoffs.
But the silver lining of James’ injury is, this time, it “isn’t as bad” as the first one. Unlike in 2018, the Lakers have Dončić and Reaves to count on to cushion the impact of James’ long absence.
Another silver lining is James could return with fresh legs for the stretch run and the playoffs with ample rest while recovering from his latest injury.
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