The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a great position ahead of their NBA Cup showdown against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make history this week. After the inaugural win in 2023, the Lakers want to become the first franchise to win multiple NBA Cups.
But before they can dream of hoisting the cup in Las Vegas, they must get past the San Antonio Spurs. Luckily for them, the Lakers just got a major boost ahead of their quarterfinal showdown.
LA Lakers welcome back Marcus Smart from injury, Victor Wembanyama ruled out
According to LA Lakers insider Dave McMenamin, the Lakers will have almost an entirely healthy roster, with Marcus Smart returning to the team. The only player missing for them is Maxi Kleber.
However, the same cannot be said for the San Antonio Spurs, as they will be without Victor Wembanyama, who continues to recover from a calf strain.
“The Lakers have a clean injury report for Wednesday, outside of Maxi Kleber, who is questionable with a lumbar muscle strain.
“Meanwhile, Wembanyama’s calf strain will keep him out for a 12th straight game for the Spurs.”
Along with Wembanyama, the Spurs will also be without Jordan McLaughlin, who has proven to be an excellent veteran backup guard.
LA Lakers cannot afford to be complacent against San Antonio Spurs
The Los Angeles Lakers will be feeling great about their chances against the San Antonio Spurs, given the latest update.
After all, the Lakers already beat the Spurs when they had Wembanyama on the court. So, in their mind, their task without Wembanyama became that much easier.
But this is where the Lakers could fail massively. Games where teams are overwhelming favorites are often referred to as ‘trap games.’ And we’ve seen the Lakers fall victim to trap games this season.
This is why JJ Redick must make sure his players understand the task at hand, don’t get complacent, and treat the Spurs as the threat they are, even without Victor Wembanyama.
Read More: LA Lakers fans all say the same thing about LeBron James after electric 76ers game
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
