The Los Angeles Lakers are in a rough stretch right now - and that might be putting it lightly. A team that spent much of the early season hanging near the top of the Western Conference standings has slipped to the four seed, and the slide doesn’t show signs of stopping. For a franchise with championship aspirations and a roster built around win-now talent, this isn’t just a cold streak - it’s a flashing red warning light.
Head coach JJ Redick didn’t mince words recently when addressing his team’s level of effort. And frankly, he didn’t need to.
The Lakers have looked flat, disjointed, and out of sync - a dangerous combination in a stacked Western Conference. Unless something changes fast, whether internally or via the trade market, this team risks falling further behind the pack.
And now, they’ll have to navigate this stretch without one of their most important pieces.
Austin Reaves Injury: A Blow the Lakers Couldn’t Afford
During the Lakers’ Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets, Austin Reaves exited at halftime and never returned. What followed was the team’s third straight blowout loss - a game that quickly spiraled once Reaves was sidelined.
Now, we know why. Reaves has been diagnosed with a grade 2 strain of his left gastrocnemius, the primary muscle in the calf that connects down to the Achilles. That’s a tough injury for any player, but especially for someone like Reaves, whose game relies so heavily on movement, feel, and timing.
This isn’t just a minor setback. Grade 2 strains typically come with a multi-week recovery timeline, and given the location of the injury - and the recent history of calf and Achilles issues across the league - the Lakers are likely to tread carefully.
And they should. Reaves is too valuable to risk rushing back, especially with how thin the margin for error has become.
Why Reaves Matters So Much
Reaves isn’t just a glue guy - he’s a connector. He’s often the one keeping the offense flowing when LeBron James and Anthony Davis are off the floor.
He can initiate sets, knock down shots, and defend multiple positions. He’s also one of the few Lakers who consistently plays with energy and urgency, two things this team has been sorely lacking of late.
Without him, the rotation gets a lot murkier. The Lakers will need more from players who’ve been inconsistent or underwhelming so far this season. And for those on the edge of the roster - the ones whose names have been floating around in trade rumors - this stretch might be their last chance to prove they belong.
What’s Next for the Lakers
This is the kind of adversity that can either galvanize a team or expose its flaws. The Lakers are at a crossroads. They’ve got the star power, the coaching staff, and the history - but right now, they’re not playing like a team that believes in itself.
If they can weather this storm without Reaves and find some internal answers, they’ll be better for it. If not, the front office may have no choice but to shake things up.
Either way, the next few weeks will tell us a lot about who the 2025-26 Lakers really are.