The Los Angeles Lakers have hit a rough patch, as they have dropped four straight games. The Lakers sit at 40-25, and the latest loss came to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
During this stretch, they've been without multiple starters. LeBron James has missed the past three games with a groin strain after suffering that injury against the Boston Celtics on March 8. Rui Hachimura has been sidelined since February with a patellar tendinopathy injury. Meanwhile, Jaxson Hayes has missed the last four games with knee soreness.
Prior to the matchup against the Nuggets, head coach JJ Redick gave a positive update regarding these three guys. He said they are "all very close to returning." The assumption is that it can take between two to seven days.
JJ Redick on Hayes/Hachimura/LeBron, possibly returning within the next week, whether it’s two days or 7: “They’re all very close to returning.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 15, 2025
Lakers Could Be Getting Three Starters Back This Week
This losing streak has caused the Lakers to drop the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Seeds 2-5 are only separated by three games, so with a healthy bunch, Los Angeles could rise back up in the standings.
When everybody was on the floor, this group was hooping. From the end of February to early March, Los Angeles strung along an eight-game win streak.
To regain that success, they need these guys ready to roll for the final stretch of the campaign. The biggest X-factor is obviously James, who's still playing at an All-NBA level at 40 years old. This season, he's fourth in the NBA in assists (8.5), along with 25 points and eight boards.
Hachimura is an athletic scorer in the frontcourt, while Hayes gives this team a viable force around the rim.
For this team to make a serious push in the Western Conference, they'll need to have guys hitting on all cylinders. They showed flashes of what kind of team they can be, but now it's about getting back to that place.