The Lakers aren’t going to make the playoffs, but they’ve been a very solid team since the All-Star break, especially for a team built for the future. Here’s the Daily Breeze reporting on last night’s loss to the Pacers:
The injury bump has given way to the injury slump.
When first the Lakers had to respond to injuries to Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart, they did so admirably. They won games against the Miami Heat – the night Ingram went down – and San Antonio and Denver, all likely playoff teams. But gradually, the strain on the few healthy, remaining players has taken a toll too great to overcome, a fact forcefully punctuated by Monday’s 110-100 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Luke Walton has seen it before. Lived it.
“Looking back to when I played,” Walton said, “If Kobe (Bryant) or someone like that, Lamar (Odom), was out, we’d all pick it up. But after three or four games, all those things that really good players make look easy, start to get a lot more difficult.”
Against the Pacers, the mundane was maddening. Passes sailed out of bounds and uncontested jumpers missed. The three starters in the Lakers’ frontcourt combined for 71 points, but their guards struggled.
