Just when it was looking like the Lakers were nearing full strength, they now have another player to add to their injury report.
On Friday, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that Austin Reaves has a mild left calf strain. He will be re-evaluated in one week.
Reaves has been generally healthy throughout his career. Last season, he missed just nine games, and the year before that, he played all 82 for Los
Angeles.
So far this season, Reaves has only missed three games due to a groin injury. Now he will undoubtedly miss a couple more contests.
This is not the first time Reaves has dealt with a calf injury. Last February, Reaves exited a contest against the Clippers due to calf soreness. The Lakers were very cautious with Reaves’ calf in that instance, and he sat out the next two games.
With Reaves being re-evaluated in a week, that means he will miss LA’s next two games against the Suns and the Jazz. The Lakers take on the Clippers on the road next Saturday, so perhaps he can return for that contest.
Reaves has been having a career year for the Lakers. He’s averaging 27.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. That type of production will be tough to make up even with Luka Dončić and LeBron James on the roster.
This means role players like Gabe Vincent and Jake LaRavia will likely have to step up in Reaves’ place if the Lakers want to be successful while Reaves is unavailable.
The good news is, Reaves’ injury doesn’t appear to be too serious.
Hopefully, a week of rest and rehabilitation will fix what ails Reaves’ calf, and he can return to help the Lakers maintain their status as one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
The last thing Reaves, or the Lakers, want is for this injury to escalate. So, if rest now makes it better than they have to proceed with caution with this calf injury, just like they did last season.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
