The 2025-26 NBA season has been far from the ideal set of circumstances for the Los Angeles Lakers, but they have managed. At 33-21, the Lakers are fifth in the Western Conference and ready for a second-half push. Having everyone available might just be the most important factor in that.
LeBron James said, "Most important for our ball club right now is health. ... Not quite sure how many games we've had where we've had a full roster. ... Our success is going to come down to our health."
The aging star knew the Lakers were past the marathon. Now it was all about gearing up for the sprint. Luka Doncic, who should be ready and available after a four-game absence due to a hamstring injury, had a lot of confidence in what a healthy Los Angeles team could do.
"We can be a very, very dangerous team," Doncic said of the Lakers. "We haven't had much time to play together since everyone has been injured a little bit, but I'm excited [for] after [the] All-Star [Game]. We all get to play together."
Lakers' main trio set to make real impact now that they can play together
Despite the Lakers having 54 games under their belt, the trio of Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves have only shared the court for 10 games this season. That leaves a lot to be desired for a unit built around having a three-headed attack lead the way.
James missed time at the beginning of the year due to a sciatica injury. Doncic and Reaves were forced to navigate the games on their own.
Reaves has dealt with two separate calf injuries throughout the campaign as well. That left Doncic and James to fend for themselves.
Doncic also had bumps and bruises during the season that have forced James and Reaves to make do with each other. You get the picture.
Each of the Lakers stars have all had their own individual struggles with injuries, leaving the team without a proper sample size of what they can do with their trio at full gear. The opportunity to finally see the results of that should be around the corner.
With all the lost time, it may still be a while before the Lakers fully gel from having all three stars available. Apart from the stars fitting with one another, the role players will have to properly mold around them all being there too.
Still, there should be some quiet confidence in finally getting to see what the Lakers can do at full strength. The switch may not be flipped immediately, but it could be coming.