The Lakers have a tall task in front of them, trying to beat the Rockets with their biggest stars, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, out indefinitely
. With Luka dealing with a hamstring strain and Reaves out with a Grade 2 oblique strain, the team doesn’t expect either to be available for the first round.However, beyond that, nothing is certain. So, Lakers head coach JJ Redick stressed at Friday’s practice before Game 1 that the goal remains the same: extend the season so that Luka and Austin have
something to come back to.
“The mindset for our team, and for those two guys, we’re going to try to make this season as long as possible, so that we can get those guys back at some point,” Redick said. “We don’t know when that is. That’s our job, and their job is to do everything they can to be in a position to come back at some point. It may not work. But that’s what we’re trying to do.”
To win playoff games shorthanded, it’s going to take a total effort from the purple and gold. Some keys the team has identified have been outrebounding Houston, limiting turnovers and establishing physicality from the jump.
Players like Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart have also stressed the importance of winning Game 1 and protecting their home-court advantage.
The Lakers worked all season to be a higher seed, and even with Reaves and Dončić out, they can’t be crestfallen. The ultimate goal of winning a title is still on the table, and until it’s off, there is a chance.
LA doesn’t have many experts who believe they can overcome the odds, and they’ll be underdogs in this series. However, the rewards of extending their season are massive. Luka and Austin don’t have serious injuries, relatively speaking.
So, if the Lakers can buy them some time, they can still return and pick up right where they left off. It feels like ancient history, but when the Lakers were healthy in March, they went 15-2 and were one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
There’s still a chance that we see that team again this postseason.
The biggest question is whether LA can win enough to bring back that iteration of the Lakers. We’re going to begin finding out this Saturday when their series against Houston begins.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
