The Los Angeles Lakers have been rolling lately, but they received mixed injury news yesterday. The Lakers will likely be shorthanded for the foreseeable future, especially up front, starting with Sunday’s contest against the Los Angeles Clippers. How will JJ Redick manage the Lakers rotation going forward?
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers will continue to be without Rui Hachimura and Maxi Kleber. Buha also said earlier this afternoon that Jordan Goodwin and Austin Reaves have been downgraded from doubtful to out against the Clippers. Meanwhile, Luka Dončić and LeBron James are questionable due to injury management.
Los Angeles (37-21) has arguably been the NBA’s best team since the calendar turned to 2025. Since having a pair of games canceled due to LA’s wildfires (January 9 and 13), the Lakers (37-21) have won 17 of 21 contests and enter tonight’s contest on a four-game winning streak. As a result, they sit third in the West, five games clear of the sixth-place Clippers with 24 contests left.
This is the second consecutive meeting between the clubs. The Lakers won 106-102 at Crypto.com Arena, where today’s game will be. James and Dončić combined for 58 points for the winners, while the Clippers got 92 points from their starters.
Lakers Severely Shorthanded Again, What Do The Injuries Mean And When Will Players Return?
It is not really noteworthy that Kleber remains sidelined, as the 33-year-old has not played since January 25. In the most recent update on February 4, Kleber told Buha that he would be re-evaluated at the beginning of April after having surgery to repair his right foot.
However, Buha said yesterday the Lakers believe Kleber could return to the team before the playoffs. The regular season ends on April 13.
“I’ve heard that there is some optimism that a return before the end of the regular season is possible,” Buha said on his podcast Buha’s Block.
It would be a coup for the Lakers if Kleber could return at the beginning of next month, as he would have as many as seven games to get acclimated with his new teammates. The Lakers have been searching for someone with size and girth all season. While Kleber is not a traditional big, the 6-10 big would give LA another option behind Jaxon Hayes for the playoffs.
Reaves and Goodwin Injury Update and Return
Goodwin and Reaves got hurt in Friday’s game against the Clippers.
Goodwin rolled his ankle in 21 minutes of action on Friday, totaling six points, five rebounds, two rebounds, and three assists. Since the Lakers originally listed him as doubtful for the rematch against the Clippers, it appears that Goodwin won’t miss much time. The thing is, with ankles, you never know. So, expect the 26-year-old to be considered day-to-day going forward until he returns.
Reaves escaped serious injury, as the MRI on his calf revealed no serious injury. Due to calf tightness, Reaves checked out after nine minutes of action in the previous matchup against the Clippers and didn’t return. Like ankles, calf injuries are touch-and-go, but it is good news that the MRI revealed no serious injuries. The 26-year-old should be considered day-to-day going forward.
Any time Goodwin and Reaves miss will be problematic for the Lakers. Reaves has developed into a reliable third scorer and is the primary facilitator when James and Dončić sit.
After tonight’s game, LA will host New Orleans on Tuesday and New York on Thursday. Unless Goodwin or Reaves suffers a setback, it would be a surprise if they didn’t play in at least one of those contests. The Lakers, who have 16 games this month, including four back-to-backs, hit the road for four games starting Saturday.
Hachimura sat out Friday’s contest with left patellar tendinopathy after injuring his knee against Minnesota the night before. The earliest Hachimura is slated to return is Saturday in Boston, as he is slated to be re-evaluated at the end of the week. However, don’t expect him to play against the Celtics.
How Will JJ Redick Manage His Rotation Starting With Tonight
Overall, Reaves is having a career season. Reaves averages 19.1 points, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 4.o rebounds for the season. He is also knocking down a personal best 2.5 treys while shooting 44.7/36.2/86.7. Additionally, he has compiled seven double-doubles and one triple-double while scoring 30+ points on four occassions.
Goodwin has played well since signing a two-way deal with a two-way contract with the team. The 6-3 journeyman has been a significant part of the Lakers rotation since joining the squad, seeing at least 11 minutes in seven of the eight games he has been active.
Goodwin averages 6.1 points, 3.8 boards, and 1.3 steals. Goodwin is shooting a career-best 54.5% from the field and doesn’t turn the ball over. More importantly, he has taken over as perimeter defensive stopper for the Lakers.
Goodwin has been a pest defensively. Not only does he steal, but he forces opponents into errors. When he is on the floor, the Lakers are four points better defensively per 100 positions. Overall, the Lakers outscore their opponents by two points a game when he is on the court.
Redick has done an outstanding job this year. Despite some early struggles, Redick has never lost faith in his guys, but the recent injury news will test his ability to manage a bench that is one of the worst in the league.
With Reaves sitting out for the first time since early December, Redick will have to use his 18th different starting lineup. This marks the second straight game that Redick will use a different starting unit, as Dorian Finney-Smith stepped in for Hachimura on Friday.
Who Will Redick Start In the Backcourt Alongside Dončić?
With Finney-Smith likely manning the power forward position until Hachimura returns, Redick must decide who to start alongside Dončić. His choices are likely Dalton Knecht or Gabe Vincent.
Vincent seems like the logical choice. He has played six more minutes a game than Knecht since the rookie returned to the team after being a Charlotte Hornet for a moment. Vincent also started in place of Doncic one game.
Vincent has started six games this year for LA, with the Lakers winning four. He has been much more efficient as with the first unit, averaging 7.2 points and 2.5 assists while knocking down 41.5% of his threes.
Knecht has seen his time significantly decrease since the Finney-Smith trade. As a result, his production has dipped as well. While the 23-year-old has been productive off the bench for the season, he has doubled his production as a starter. The Lakers are 6-6 on the season with Knecht in the starting lineup.
It is projected that Knecht will indeed start. In that case, Vincent would be the Lakers’ third guard, and Jared Vanderbilt would be the first big off the bench.
Shake Milton should see some minutes in the backcourt, though Redick may decide to manage his backcourt a little differently than normal. Milton has just seen five minutes of playing time in the Lakers’ last six games, although there have been times this season when the 28-year-old has been a regular contributor.
Will Alex Len Get Some Minutes?
The bigger question will be who Redick will turn to in the frontcourt. The Lakers convinced Alex Len to join them instead of Indiana after the veteran big man was waived by Washington. But the veteran center has not played in the last three contests and has totaled 35 minutes over three games. Two-way players Alex Jemison and Christian Koloko are also options.
Photo courtesy of © Jason Parkhurst, Imagn Images
