Three consecutive blowout losses, even in the preseason, is bound to make a mark on any team. For the Los Angeles Lakers, things have not been going the way it was intended when the season started.
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Kobe Bryant, never one to hold back words, had a couple of reasons he believed the Lakers are struggling right now according to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell:
Bryant asked about the blow outs: “The injury thing is tough … playing with a lot of young guys, man.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 17, 2014
Coming into the season, expectations were not high for the Lakers. They had a team that had potential, but was also very young. Adding injuries to that would make any team crumble.
Nick Young and Jeremy Lin are both expected to be major contributors for this team, while Ryan Kelly, Jordan Clarkson and Xavier Henry are all young players who bring different things to the table. Missing all five players gives the Lakers an extremely thin lineup in the preseason.
The Lakers were stuck playing Jeremy Tyler, Keith Appling and Roscoe Smith — none of whom are expected to make the final roster. The Lakers getting healthy will give a much better look at what this team could become.
Luckily for the Lakers, it is still preseason, but the games start counting very soon and when they do, youth and injuries won’t mean a things. All that will matter are wins and losses.
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