The Lakers suffer early blow as they enter the coming 2024-25 NBA season high in expectations under the leadership of LeBron James, looking to bounce back from last season’s playoff disappointment. But it’s off to an unfortunate start. The Lakers have confirmed that key player Christian Wood will miss the start of the season after undergoing surgery on his left knee.
Wood, who played through a knee injury that kept him out of the lineup during last season’s playoffs, had an arthroscopic procedure on that knee. Though initially healed, the Lakers announced Wood needed additional surgery because of lingering issues. The method, performed at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center by Dr. Kristofer J. Jones, was successful. However, Wood will be out a minimum of eight weeks before he is reevaluated.
The Lakers officially announced, “Lakers forward/center Christian Wood underwent a successful arthroscopic surgical procedure on his left knee today. He will be re-evaluated by team doctors in approximately eight weeks.”
Shaq Predicts Challenges Ahead
As the Lakers suffer early blow for the upcoming season, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal weighed in on how tough it may be for the team to work with new head coach JJ Redick. Appearing this week on The Pat McAfee Show, Shaq said he felt that adjustment could be hard for the team. He ultimately said it would be a rocky beginning, relating the situation between Redick and the players to his time as a player.
“I was just lucky to play for guys like Phil Jackson and Pat Riley-coaches who knew what they were doing,” Shaq said. “No disrespect to other coaches, but sometimes I’d hear it and think, ‘I don’t know if that’s going to work.'”
O’Neal also questioned whether the Lakers’ players would buy into Redick’s system. “When you get a coach like that, the antenna is already up. The question is: Will the players respond? We’ll see.”
Magic Johnson Urges Patience
Lakers legend Magic Johnson has taken a contrarian approach, urging patience as the team adjusts to Redick being at the helm. Speaking with KCAL News, he projects one of the key things for the new coach is time: Time to get himself right and squeeze the talent out of a roster.
It’s not going to happen overnight,” Johnson said. “But having a leader like LeBron James alongside Anthony Davis is a huge help. Fans just need to give time to JJ Redick to figure things out.”
As the Lakers aim to make a strong push in the 2024-25 season, they face challenges with Christian Wood’s absence and the team’s adjustment to a new coaching system.
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