The Los Angeles Lakers received bad news recently when it was reported that newly acquired center Timofey Mozgov injured his groin while playing an exhibition game for the Russian National Team. Although the severity of the injury was unknown, having just signed him to a four-year, $64 million deal, the last thing the front office or the fan base want to hear is that an injury has occurred during the offseason.
However, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers can breathe a sigh of relief as Mozgov has recovered from the injury and is back practicing with the Russian team:
“The Lakers said Mozgov participated in a full practice Wednesday with Russia and reported no pain from the injury after he got an MRI exam on Saturday.”
Luckily for the Lakers, Mozgov’s injury was just minor and shouldn’t have an effect on him come training camp in the Fall. The 2016 NBA Champion was one of the biggest offseason acquisitions for Los Angeles as he’s expected to anchor the defense and bring in a veteran presence to the locker room.
Mozgov was the first player the Lakers signed in free agency which drew some criticism from fans and experts alike. Many believe the Lakers overpaid for Mozgov and would have been better served by waiting until later in free agency to sign someone cheaper. Head coach Luke Walton, however, fully believes in what Mozgov will bring to the team.
With the Lakers expected to bring in former lottery pick, and Chinese star Yi Jianlian, the Lakers frontcourt has become even more crowded. Nonetheless, the Lakers have to be happy that Mozgov is fine and will be ready once training camp begins.