The injury bug struck quick for the Lakers this season with Gabe Vincent the latest victim.
After injuring his ankle against the Kings on Sunday, Vincent is reportedly set to miss two to four weeks with
a sprain, as reported by Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin of ESPN and confirmed by others.
In the short term, the Lakers will remain extremely shorthanded over the next week. Luka Dončić will be out for at least the remainder of the week, if not longer. LeBron James will also be out through the month and into the middle of November.
It’s an absence that will be felt more if Marcus Smart is also set to miss more games, too. For now, it’s hard to judge which players are out for the short-term vs. the long-term with the Lakers playing three games in four days and a back-to-back to close it.
Long-term, being without Vincent for two to four weeks will force a starting lineup change once the team gets somewhat healthier. It also opens up a spot in the rotation that, at least in Sunday and Monday’s games, will be filled by Dalton Knecht.
If there is a position the Lakers could absorb an injury, it would be in the backcourt as a guard. But that is in a vacuum. Considering how many injuries the team is dealing with right now, it’s going to be a really uphill battle for the purple and gold over the next few weeks.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
