3. Avoid Serious Injuries
This seems like an obvious, simplistic notion. But the Lakers have already lost DeMarcus Cousins, probably for the season, to an ACL tear.
There is also the uncertain status of Kyle Kuzma, who suffered some sort of ankle injury last month. The exact type of injury has not been disclosed, but it was bad enough to force him to leave the USA national team. Whether it will impact him this coming season has not been announced.
These afflictions come on the heels of an injury-plagued 2018-19 season, when most of the Lakers’ key players missed substantial time. James played only 55 games, Ingram just 52, Ball 47 and Rajon Rondo 46. Kuzma fared better but still missed 12 games while Stephenson sat out 14 and Hart 15.
Before being bitten by the injury bug the Lakers looked like a good bet to make the playoffs. But the lack of continuity materially hampered their efforts.
It is impossible to reliably predict how any team will fare in the injury department this season. Certainly LeBron, who turns 35 in December, could be susceptible based on the wear and tear on his body after already playing 1,437 NBA games and over 60,000 minutes.
Although Davis is just 26 years old, he has not been an iron man in his first seven NBA seasons. He has played over 70 games just twice, averaging just 67 games per year primarily due to a litany of injuries to all parts of his body. This undoubtedly is one of the reasons he distinctly prefers to play power forward so he can avoid banging inside against bigger, stronger centers.
At least a couple of the incoming players, Avery Bradley and Howard (for his second Lakers stint), are coming back from significant injuries of their own. Bradley was hampered by a pulled groin muscle for parts of the last two seasons but performed well for Memphis over last year’s final 14 games and says he feels 100% now.
Howard played only nine games last season before being sidelined by a back injury that required surgery. He too reports that he is fully recovered. Presumably the Lakers performed appropriate due diligence before signing him.
Even their sole incoming draft choice, Talen Horton-Tucker, suffered a foot injury that kept him out of the Summer League. He, too, is supposed to be ready for the season, but will probably spend most of it in the G League anyway.
No NBA team goes unscathed through an entire season. But last year the Lakers were more snakebit than any other team. Hopefully their luck will change this year. To reach their potential, they need players like AD, LeBron and Kuzma to be on the court as much as possible.