Every season the biggest possible downfall for the Los Angeles Lakers is injuries, and the team has unfortunately had to deal with players being in and out of the lineup throughout the current campaign thus far.
Gabe Vincent has been out for most of the season due to a knee injury, while D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish have each missed multiple games. Normally, the health questions revolve around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but this season it’s the supporting cast that has been unable to stay on the floor.
Rui Hachimura is the latest Laker player to get hurt as he suffered a calf strain in the first quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans and was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the game. Hachimura also was forced to miss the team’s home game against the Miami Heat.
Prior to the matchup against the Heat, Darvin Ham announced Hachimura was diagnosed with a Grade 1 calf strain and is considered day-to-day.
“We definitely did an MRI. He has a little bit of a, I think it’s a Grade 1 calf strain,” Ham said. “We’ll be monitoring that and it will be a day-to-day type of deal once we get out of the woods a little bit.”
Ham discussed what the team is missing with Hachimura out and acknowledges they’ll miss him on the floor.
“Just having another versatile wing out there. His physicality that he brings to the game, his ability to score at three levels, really good with Bron and AD. A good, young, energetic guy. So we’ll definitely miss him,” Ham noted.
After signing a contract extension in the offseason, Hachimura seemed in line for a larger role but injuries and inconsistent shooting has put a damper on things. There have been several spurts where the Japan native looks like the player that broke out in the postseason, but so far he’s been up and down.
Calf strains can be serious injuries, but it seems like the Lakers have some fortune on their side. Nevertheless, the medical staff will likely be cautious when it comes to Hachimura’s rehab in effort to get him healthy for later in the year.
Darvin Ham: Lakers need to band together
The Lakers have been in a rut since winning the NBA In-Season Tournament and tumbled down the standings. Several players have voiced their frustration with the losing but Ham emphasized the need for the team to band together during their tough stretch.
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