Following an offseason focused on building depth in support of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers have yet to reap the benefits of those acquisitions, with a slew of injuries continuing to undermine plans for development.
The Lakers suffered a 108-107 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday in the second game of a four-game road trip that continues Wednesday against the Houston Rockets.
They tipped off without four projected rotation players — Rui Hachimura (concussion), Jaxson Hayes (ankle), Jarred Vanderbilt (heel) and Gabe Vincent (knee) — and lost Davis to a hip injury after he logged just 25 minutes.
Davis is thought to have avoided significant injury but the immediate issues remain pressing. James, in his age-39 season, played 37 minutes while posting 30 points and three blocks, a workload that ran contrary to efforts to limit his wear and tear.
The Lakers went only eight deep, and while only seven games have been played, things haven't quite unfolded according to script.
Still, the Lakers have showcased a competitive spirit. Two of their losses have been white-knuckle affairs, and they rallied from double-digit deficits to defeat the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers.
"The fact that we were competitive and our identity came through in that second half, especially the fourth quarter, (mitigates any frustration)," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said.
"Who we were to finish out the season last year and who we're trying to be this year with this returning core and the new collection of players navigating injuries mixing and matching different lineups, I couldn't be more proud of my guys.
"(Miami is) a great, great team that's going to test your will. Ours was tested and I feel like we passed the test, albeit we didn't come up with the win. We competed like I'm accustomed to us competing."
Conversely, the Rockets are riding high. With a 122-97 home win over the Sacramento Kings that extended its winning streak to three games, Houston improved to 3-3.
The Rockets enter Wednesday's game with a .500 mark for the first time beyond the second game of the season since Feb. 6, 2021. They led the Kings by as many as 40 points en route to the win and thrived again with offensive balance.
Four starters scored in double figures paced by Jalen Green, who made 10 of 12 free throws while posting a game-high 23 points. Alperen Sengun paired 17 points with a career-high 12 assists and grabbed eight rebounds. Jabari Smith Jr. and Aaron Holiday scored 13 apiece.
After experiencing near misses against the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors, the Rockets have suddenly flexed an ability to complete games with confidence. They struggled mightily in such situations last season, but the addition of veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green in particular appears to have emboldened the Rockets.
"Even in those three losses I felt we played well, we just didn't sustain that," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. "We went through some lulls on both sides of the ball.
"To have that carryover is good. To see success against Charlotte and carry over to these two games has been great."
—Field Level Media