The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to embark on their 2017-2018 season and will be hoping for some good luck when it comes to health. The Lakers know all too well that injuries can quickly derail a season, and even a career, so keeping players healthy will be a priority.
Training camp starts next week, but players have already been hard at work preparing for the upcoming season. While everyone wants to hit the court fully healthy, even preparing for training camp can put players at risk.
Case in point, Brook Lopez is rumored to have a back injury already that could cost him some games in the preseason.
Head coach Luke Walton gave an update on the Lakers injury status at a dinner event hosted by ESPN LA and sounded cautiously optimistic:
“Nothing too major, so guys are ready to get after it on Tuesday.”
Walton was slightly hesitant in his response, likely due to the possible issue with Lopez’s back, but it’s still good to hear that overall the team is ready to hit the court when training camp begins.
This year’s training camp will be a busy one as Walton focuses on improving the defense, which was dead last in the NBA last season. He will also have to integrate a number of new faces, including rookies Lonzo Ball, Thomas Bryant, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart as well as veterans like Lopez, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Andrew Bogut.
Of course, much of the talk will revolve around the Lakers pursuit of two max-level free agents next summer, when players like LeBron James, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and DeMarcus Cousins will be available. Even though this year’s Lakers squad isn’t expected to win a lot, the mixture of exciting young players and veterans still provide something to be excited about in the here and now.