Lakers’ Greatest Weakness Exposed By a Loss to The Worst Team in The West
Lakers’ key weakness revealed in loss to the West’s worst team. The defeat to the Utah Jazz revealed a significant issue with Los Angeles… The Los Angeles Lakers entered the NBA All-Star Break on a very negative note, suffering a disheartening 131-119 loss to the struggling Utah Jazz, a tough blow for a revamped team still working through its chemistry.
It’s important to note that one loss isn’t enough to make a drastic judgment about the Lakers’ season. However, this game did highlight one critical concern about the team. The Lakers are clearly not constructed to handle significant injuries.
If LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and others are serious about contending for a championship in the 2024-25 NBA season, they’ll need to stay healthy and avoid injuries as the playoffs approach.
Injury-depleted Lakers struggle to adjust to key absences
The Lakers entered this game with a notable disadvantage right from the start. Both Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith were unavailable for the contest, and these two are key figures in the Lakers’ typical rotation.
Finney-Smith has become a valuable asset to the team since his trade acquisition from the Brooklyn Nets. Though his averages of 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.9 steals aren’t eye-catching, his 3-and-D contribution has been crucial in several successful lineup combinations for the Lakers.
Vincent has been stepping up lately, playing more like the guard Los Angeles expected when they signed him. Since January 15, the former Miami Heat player has averaged 9.9 points, 2.9 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game, shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from beyond the arc, while contributing defensively in 24.4 minutes a game.
Starting the game without these two key players already put the Lakers in a tough spot. Matters got worse when an injury occurred during the game.
Jaxson Hayes had to leave early after sustaining a facial contusion. With Hayes playing just seven minutes, newly-acquired Alex Len was called upon to take on a larger role in his first Lakers appearance. The outcome was far from ideal.
By the end of the night, one thing was painfully clear: the Lakers depend on having their full roster available to compete. With several positions lacking depth, Los Angeles will be hoping for good health as the playoffs near. Otherwise, their chances of playing into June could be significantly diminished.
