Just when things look like they are heading in the right direction for the Los Angeles Lakers, more injuries plague them. Now, their center, Mo Bamba, will miss four weeks due to a left high ankle sprain. Bamba, who was acquired from the Orlando Magic at the NBA Trade Deadline, has seemingly found a home with the Lakers. With the Lakers in prime position to possibly make the play-in tournament, this is a huge loss for a team gathering momentum to make a late season push. Especially with LeBron James projected to miss a few more weeks.
Mo Bamba to Possibly Miss Rest of Regular Season With Ankle Sprain
Los Angeles’ Tumultuous Year
To say the Lakers have had an up and down season would be the understatement of the year. They were certainly the busiest team at the NBA Trade Deadline. Not only did they trade Russell Westbrook to get his contract off the books, but they also shipped off Thomas Bryant. The final move they pulled though was trading for the serviceable big man, Mo Bamba. Bamba had been looking to get out of Orlando for awhile and the Lakers provided him the perfect opportunity. After a big win the other night, Los Angeles is now in the ninth seed in the Western Conference playoff picture. They currently possess a 32-34 win-loss record with a tie-breaker over the New Orleans Pelicans. However, it will be hard to maintain this momentum if they do not start getting healthy and that includes Mo Bamba.
Mo Bamba’s Numbers This Season
Ever since coming to Los Angeles, Bamba has yet to hit his stride. However, do not let his numbers fool you, the Lakers will still need his presence down low if they do make the playoffs. In seven games with the Lakers, Bamba is averaging only 4.4 points, 5.3 total rebounds, and an effective field goal percentage of 52.1 percent. For the whole year, he has averaged 6.8 points, 4.7 total rebounds, and an effective field goal percentage of 58.8 percent.
As alluded to already, Bamba’s numbers are not anything to write home about, but he is still a big-bodied center who can set physical screens and gobble up second-chance rebounds. LeBron James could be back in a few weeks, but it could be too little too late by then. With Mo Bamba potentially missing the rest of the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers’ road to the playoffs just got much more difficult.
