LA Lakers guard Dennis Schroder reportedly out for 2 weeks due to COVID health and safety protocols | 2020-21 NBA season
The LA Lakers are in a tough spot at the moment. The team has fallen to sixth in the Western Conference. Their stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, have only recently returned to action.Their season is not getting any easier either, as recent reports suggest that Lakers guard Dennis Schroder is expected to be sidelined for up to a fortnight due to the league's health and safety protocols.
The news arrives at the end of a run where the LA Lakers have lost their last three games and seven of their last ten. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have only just returned to the court together but have been unable to help the Lakers win either of their last two matchups.
Dennis Schroder could miss some difficult matchups for the LA Lakers
Dennis Schroder's absence couldn't have come at a worse time for the LA Lakers. They are currently fighting to avoid the Western Conference play-in tournament. They are also waiting for LeBron and AD to find their rhythm after a lengthy period away from the court. Furthermore, their fixture schedule is far from easy in the upcoming fortnight of regular-season games.
Should the recent reports be accurate, Schroder could miss the LA Lakers' remaining eight games. That includes tough matchups against the Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns within the next week.
Dennis Schroder was absent for the LA Lakers' 121-114 loss against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, which was only the fifth game he had missed all season. During their recent struggles without LeBron and Davis, the German point guard averaged 16.8 points and 7.4 assists. He also led all Lakers players with 1.6 steals per matchup.
His ability to perform on both ends of the court has been a significant reason the LA Lakers have retained a top-6 seed in the West. However, their place looks in jeopardy now.
We may end up seeing LeBron James return as the point guard for the Lakers, as he did last season. However, there remain doubts over his fitness given that he limped out of the fourth quarter in a loss against the Raptors. If James cannot play, Kentavious-Caldwell Pope and Alex Caruso will have to increase their ball-handling duties.