The Los Angeles Lakers received some more bad news over the weekend learning that arguably the team’s best bench player is done for the season. Jordan Hill’s hip injury turned out to be worse than first anticipated with the 25-year-old requiring season-ending surgery.
With a six-game losing streak heading into the matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday and Magic Johnson already having lost complete faith in this team’s ability to turn it around saying that the Lakers won’t make the playoffs, there’s little faith in the new-look Lakers moving forward.
As if Hill’s season-ending injury wasn’t bad enough, Pau Gasol is still suffering from concussion symptoms and Dwight Howard is dealing with a partially torn labrum in his shoulder. Howard’s injury may ultimately require surgery, but the center is optimistic he’ll return soon and is actually a game-time decision for Sunday against the Cavs.
Although the season isn’t over in terms of contending for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, the Lakers are coming dangerously close to being on the outside looking in on the postseason. Desperation mode is officially in full effect in Los Angeles with the team needing to battle through the recent injury problems and find a way to win.
With the NBA trade deadline a little more than a month away on Feb. 21, a few of the current players on the squad may be playing for an opportunity to stay in Los Angeles or the Lakers’ front office might be willing to pull the trigger on a few more trades before the deadline in an attempt to right the ship moving forward.
Lakers Nation News
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Steve Nash Waiting For Pau Gasol To Regain Previous Form
Lakers Videos Of The Week: Earl Clark, Alley-Oops & Armpit Sweat
Video: Jack Nicholson Leaves Game Early As Thunder Blow-Out Lakers
Lakers News: Magic Johnson Says Lakers Will Not Reach Postseason
Mike D’Antoni Tells Lakers Players Their ‘Season Starts Sunday’
Lakers News: Jordan Hill Out For Remainder Of Season
Thunder Dominate Lakers At Staples; Lakers Lose Six Straight
Lakers News: Kobe And Vanessa Bryant Call Off Divorce
Lakers News
Lakers’ Dwight Howard A Game-Time Decision; Pau Gasol Still Out [LA Times]
A Lakers Turnaround Could Still Mean A Top-Eight Playoff Seeding [LA Times]
Watch: Kobe Bryant Talk Trash-Talking [LA Times]
Turnaround Is Wishful Thinking For Lakers [LA Times]
In Dark Times, Lakers’ Howard Continues To Keep The Light On [LA Times]
Staggering Lakers Are Officially Longshots To Win Title [LA Times]
At Least The Schedule Gets A Little Easier For Lakers [OC Register]
OKC Punishes Bad Lakers [OC Register]
Kobe And Vanessa: Divorce Dismissed [OC Register]
Clark Draws Rare Attention [OC Register]
The Most Resilient Parasite [Silver Screen & Roll]
Kobe Is Ruining His Own Historic Season [Silver Screen & Roll]
Beast Or Burden: Inflection Point [Silver Screen & Roll]
With Clark’s Play, Is ‘Earl Sanity’ In The Making For Lakers? [LA Daily News]
Tests Will Show How Healthy Lakers Are [LA Daily News]
Lakers Coach Mike D’Antoni Vows To Use Pau Gasol Inside More Once Forward Returns [LA Daily News]
Despite Shoulder Injury, Lakers Center Dwight Howard Keeps Busy [LA Daily News]
Lakers Need A More Aggressive Steve Nash [Forum Blue & Gold]
Lakers/Thunder: This IS Happening [Forum Blue & Gold]
NBA News
NBA Play Of The Day: LeBron James Shows Off On Alley-Oop Dunk [Sports City]
George Karl Thinks Heat’s LeBron James Will Return To Cleveland [Sports City]
Another Kings Buyer Emerges, Says He’d Keep Team In Sacramento [Sports City]
Dallas Mavericks Also Interested In Former Blazers Center Oden [Sports City]
Bosh, Duncan Deserve To Be All-Star Starters [SB Nation]
Hope In A Hopeless Place [SB Nation]
Tony Taylor: The Ideal D-League Prospect [SB Nation]
Wade-To-LeBron Reserve Alley-Oop. Totally Normal. [SB Nation]
Wall ‘Parts The Red Sea’ In His Return [SB Nation]
Carmelo Anthony Says He Has Been Fasting Past 15 Days [Pro Basketball Talk]
Just To Be Clear, Bucks Have No Plans To Trade Brandon Jennings [Pro Basketball Talk]
Mark Cuban Says He Won’t Trade Dirk Nowitzki [Pro Basketball Talk]
