One of the things that NBA experts and fans alike were worried about when it came to the Los Angeles Lakers was the health of the team. They added a lot of veterans to their squad and a lot of them are coming out of their prime years or already past their prime.
They have already suffered one injury, as Trevor Ariza will be sidelined at least two months after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his ankle. He will be re-evaluated in eight weeks, but he could be sidelined even longer.
Ariza was expected to be a big part of the team’s rotation with the second unit. He was penciled in as a backup forward capable of playing either small forward or power forward depending on the alignment.
Without him, more minutes could be given to Carmelo Anthony off the bench and Anthony Davis may have to play more power forward than center to begin the season. The team could also look to add another player to the roster.
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Los Angeles intended to carry only 14 players on the roster heading into the regular season. They wanted to leave one spot open so that they could make some moves in season should a need arise.
Well, the Lakers didn’t even make it through preseason before a need seemingly arose. Sam Quinn, a CBS Sports NBA reporter, believes the Lakers could find help in James Ennis or Wesley Matthews should they change their stance with the roster spot.
James Ennis is probably the best wing player remaining in free agency. He had a good season with the Orlando Magic during 2020-21, knocking down 43.3 percent of his 3-point attempts. Ennis would also provide the team with another capable defender on the wing.
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Wesley Matthews spent last season with the Lakers, and while the results weren’t as good as he had hoped for, he still remains a steady veteran. He would provide the team with another 3-and-D threat and unlike Ennis wouldn’t need much time to acclimate himself as he already has a year of experience under his belt playing for Frank Vogel.
Both players would make sense as a target, as Ariza’s injury is relatively long-term. Being sidelined eight weeks would cost him at least 24 games in the regular season. Can the Los Angeles Lakers afford to go that long with only 13 healthy players? We will have to wait and see what decision they make in the coming days as preseason winds down and we head toward the regular season.
