The preseason has not been kind to the Los Angeles Lakers thus far. Not only are the NBA champions of two seasons ago still looking for their first win, but they are also dealing with a number of injuries as the start of the new season closes in.
Meanwhile, controversial All-Stars Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving are reportedly back with their respective teams, but their ongoing issues are still not completely resolved.
Read on below as SBOTOP lists down the latest news and updates from around the league during NBA preseason.
Injuries piling up for winless Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a rough start in preseason, going 0-4 in their first four games.
Granted, they have not been in full strength and are yet to play their new ‘Big 3’ of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook together. The three stars are set to debut in their next preseason game against the Golden State Warriors.
But the more concerning NBA 2021 news than the losses for the Lakers is their growing list of injuries. First, veteran forward Trevor Ariza had ankle surgery which will see him miss the first two months of the season. And now guard Talen Horton-Tucker is expected to miss significant time after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb.
New guards Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn could also miss the rest of preseason due to groin and ankle injuries, respectively.
Ariza and Horton-Tucker are expected to be key members of the Lakers rotation this season, with the former a favourite to land a starting spot prior to his injury.
None of these injuries will significantly affect the Lakers in the short term. But with so many new pieces to their team, it could take time for them to come together as a group after all these injury setbacks.
Ben Simmons finally reports with Sixers
It appears Ben Simmons’ holdout is over. According to reports, the All-Star guard has finally reported to the Philadelphia 76ers’ facility after staying away from the team for most of the offseason as he seeks a trade.
The Sixers had recently held a quarter of Simmons’ annual salary – $8.25 million – due to his failure to report. But after weeks of talks between his representative and the team, they appear to have come to a compromise.
After reporting to Philadelphia, the Sixers are now hoping for Simmons to rejoin the team on the court. The Sixers are currently 2-1 in the preseason after they defeated the Brooklyn Nets 1115-104.
With star centre Joel Embiid playing limited minutes, newcomer Andre Drummond has been handed extended playing time. He is averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds in 22 minutes over three games.
Second-year guard Isaiah Joe has also been a notable performer, averaging 17.7 points per game in preseason.
But despite all the drama that has surrounded Simmons’ holdout, Sixers coach Doc Rivers says the team will welcome Simmons back with open arms.
“Listen, we’ve said from day one what we wanted,” Rivers said. “We’d love to get him back. Other than that, honestly, there’s nothing to report. Our position hasn’t changed at all.”
Kyrie Irving back training with Nets, status still unclear
The Ben Simmons-less Sixers defeated the Brooklyn Nets, who were also without their All-Star point guard in Kyrie Irving.
The unvaccinated Irving, who had not been allowed to practice with the team in Brooklyn due to New York City’s vaccine mandate, finally returned to practice after the city ruled that he could enter the team’s training facility.
However, it appears the Nets are coming to terms with the fact that they will have to play a portion of the season without Irving, who will not be allowed to play in the team’s home games unless he gets at least one vaccine shot.
“We recognize he’s not playing in home games,” Nets coach Steve Nash told reporters after Irving’s first practice. “We are going to have to for sure play without him this year. So it just depends on when, where and how much.”
But Nash pointed out that there could be possible changes in Irving’s situation in the future, and the team will simply adjust from there.
“I think right now we assume he’s not going to be available for home games, but anything can change,” Nash later added. “Who’s to say? The city ordinances could change. Anything could change. Right now we are just trying to remain flexible, open-minded and figure it out as we go because information is coming in by like the half-day here. … Things are shifting. No one’s been through this before, and we are just trying to figure it out as we go.”
Irving, 28, averaged 26.9 points on a career-high 50 per cent shooting from the field last season. With him, Kevin Durant, and James Harden on the same team, the NBA 2021 betting odds have the Nets as the favourites to win the title this season.
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