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With only two games left in the season, one would be forgiven for thinking that the Lakers could finally just coast to the finish line and make it out of the season alive healthy. But no, even in the wake of news that Jeremy Lin was the latest Laker to be lost for the season, the injury bug infestation has not been cleared out of the Lakers' locker room yet.
After landing awkwardly during the second quarter of his 16 point first half scoring outburst against the Dallas Mavericks, Wesley Johnson has a "moderately sprained ankle" and will likely miss the final two games of the season. Johnson, who was averaging 9.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, both better than his career averages, is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
To add injury to injury, recently added Lakers point guard Dwight Buycks will also not be back after fracturing the third metacarpal on his right hand. This is even more painful for Buycks, who was on the last day of a 10-day contract and was a near certainty to be re-signed to finish out the season. At least he seems to be taking the right attitude about the situation:
Thanks everyone for the concern , the prayers, the Luv.. It don't go unnoticed .. The comeback will serious!!!! #TheComeback #ShowMustGoOn
— Dwight Buycks (@BuycksWorld13) April 13, 2015
And per Serena Winters of Lakers Nation, here is the latest update on Lakers having their season ended by injury:
2014-15 Lakers season ending injuries: Kobe Nash Randle Henry Lin Ellington Price Young Buycks (And possibly Wes Johnson)
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) April 13, 2015
To use some #analytics, if you were on the Lakers roster this season, you essentially had a better than 50% chance to suffer a season ending injury, or worse odds than Russian roulette.
With that said, best of luck to newest Lakers signee Vander Blue, who the Lakers will sign for the last two games of the season in order to field a enough players to compete. Blue averaged an impressive 23.3 points, 5.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game on 47.3% shooting this season with the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers D-League affiliate.
Hopefully this is the last Lakers' season ending injury update of the 2014-15 season here at Silver Screen and Roll, but stay tuned because you just never know with this team.