JJ Redick, Lakers

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Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacts after his team is called for a foul.

The Los Angeles Lakers travel to Detroit to play the Pistons on Monday night. 

L.A. is fresh off its 46th win of the season (23rd on the road) Saturday night in Orlando thanks to a game-winning 3-pointer by sharpshooting guard Luke Kennard with just a few tenths of a second remaining in regulation. 

Coming off a win in that fashion is often enough to generate a team plenty of energy entering the next contest. The Lakers will need just that if they hope to knock off the East-leading Pistons, who will be without NBA MVP candidate Cade Cunningham. 

Monday will be a golden opportunity for L.A. to extend its win streak to double digits and create a larger gap between it and the fourth-seeded Houston Rockets.

Los Angeles Lakers Announce Injury Report

With the regular season marching to a finish, no team wants to see any of its key rotational pieces on the injury report. Fortunately, the Lakers have been mostly healthy in recent weeks, aside from a few knick-knack injuries to their star players. But those often come with the wear and tear of a long 82-game season.

If L.A. wants to capture its 10th win in a row, it’ll need to push harder. The Lakers could be missing two critical rotational pieces in their bout with the Pistons. Guard Marcus Smart is questionable with right ankle soreness. Forward Rui Hachimura is questionable with right calf soreness. 

The team could also be without forward Maxi Kleber, who is nursing a back injury. Kleber has only appeared in 35 tilts this season.

As for Smart and Hachimura, a pair of heavily-leaned-on role players, the former could miss his 12th game this season while the latter could miss a 13th.

Smart has been a vital contributor during his team’s nine-game winning streak. His rediscovered defensive intensity and improved 3-point shooting have helped the former Defensive Player of the Year earn valuable minutes, especially in the clutch. Smart has tallied four games scoring double digits — including a 21-point outing in a thrilling home victory over the Denver Nuggets — over the Lakers’ winning streak.

Hachimura has been a staple in L.A.’s rotation for multiple years. A knockdown shooter who is connecting on nearly 44% of his outside shots, Hachimura is always called upon for his two-way contributions in the most meaningful moments in games. Missing him Monday night could be a significant blow.

The Team Must Manage the Health of Its Players as Playoffs Approach

There is perhaps not a more flummoxing time for teams than right now. Coaching staffs are often left deciding between resting their players and prioritizing health or letting them gel ahead of the playoffs. 

The Lakers are in an interesting situation. 

They are led by Luka Doncic, who has had his fair share of injury troubles in recent years. There is also LeBron James, who is 41 years old and needs a bit more accommodation when it comes to managing his health, which is understable for the oldest guy in the league. Let’s not forget about Austin Reaves, who has fought tough injuries this season alone. 

While that may be the case, the Lakers have never looked better, and the trio of Doncic, James and Reaves has never looked more productive. It is still too early for any team to think about load-managing some of their players before the playoffs. Heck, there are far too many postseason implications tied into these final dozen-or-so games. Every team, particularly in the Western Conference, is playing desperate. 

L.A. hopes to see a fully healthy lineup in Detroit in a couple of days. Extending that winning streak and continuing to build up velocity will serve the franchise well as April approaches. 

 

Adel Ahmad Adel is a writer with over five years of experience covering the NBA. His work has appeared on various media platforms, both national and local. More about Adel Ahmad

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