No Word on Luka Dončić's Availability. How Much Are INJURIES HOLDING LAKERS BACK?

The Lakers have had a tremendous amount of turnover in their lineups this season, thanks to a string of injuries to important players. Moreover, those injuries seem to be overlapping in ways that make it impossible for one group to get a high number of reps. Yet the team is still winning a lot of games.

So are the injuries helping the Lakers build resilience and chemistry that will serve them well in the postseason?

Are the injuries limiting the team's ability to maximize its ceiling?

Yes to both?

That would be a reasonable choice, as the Lakers head into Christmas week unsure whether a lot of important players can take the floor. Luka Dončić left Saturday's game at the half with a lower leg contusion. Austin Reaves is already out. Rui Hachimura was a late addition to the injury list, and Gabe Vincent was already there. If you're keeping score, that's four starters out for the Lakers, plus one key reserve. Oof.

There were no updates from the team on Sunday, though Monday should give a little more clarity, both for Tuesday's game against the Suns and then Christmas Day against the Rockets.

The good news is that even if the Lakers drop a few games while shorthanded, they've got some wiggle room built up thanks to a good early season play, but how much damage does this do to the team's upside? Is there any benefit to playing with this level of uncertainty?

And finally... the NBA always has a tension between fans, players, coaches and the officials. But it seems worse this year than in years past... why?


HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Who is healthy, who is not?
SEGMENT 2: What do the injuries do to the team's upside?
SEGMENT 3: Is the ref problem worse this year?


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