"Austin Reaves might actually die trying to carry this team" - Fans in Shambles as Lakers' injury woes deepen with Marcus Smart joining 7-player list

The Los Angeles Lakers can't catch a break from the injury plague at the start of the new NBA season. The latest injury report released by Dave McMenamin on Monday on his X account revealed that Marcus Smart has joined the other injured Lakers players on the sidelines.

According to the report, Smart is suffering from a right quad contusion and will not participate in Monday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Before heading into the game, LA will have seven players on the bench, including their star players, LeBron James and Luka Doncic.

The fans online were in shambles on seeing the report. They flooded the X post's comment section with their opinions.

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"AR might actually die trying to carry this team," one fan said. "Reeves going for 81 tonight," another fan said. "AR15 got us," another fan said.

Another set of fans urged Bronny James to step up his game against the Blazers.

"7 players… blazers are also on a back to back. give me 30 bronny!" one fan said. "We are cooked …. Or bronny james 50 point game," another fan said. "Alright Bronny if there was ever a night for you to step up," another fan said.

Austin Reaves has another opportunity to become a hero for the Lakers

Austin Reaves was the brightest star in the Golden 1 Center on Sunday as he led the LA Lakers to a 127-120 win over the Sacramento Kings. He scored a career high of 51 points with 11 rebounds and 9 assists, nearly reaching a triple-double stat line.

Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura also stepped up their game to support Reaves in securing a win for his team. The Lakers guard accomplished a career in the absence of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, and Monday, he faces a similar situation once again.

The Blazers are coming into the game after suffering a 114-107 loss against the LA Clippers. They would also be missing their head coach, Chauncey Billups, from the sidelines as he is currently under investigation in a federal case.

The Purple and Gold would lean on Reaves on Monday to deliver a big performance again. The bench players getting a starting opportunity would have also stepped up their games, and backed up the rising star in helping him to secure a win for his team.

Bronny James could see himself getting significant minutes on the court. It would be a perfect opportunity for James Jr. to make the most of the moment, and show off his growth to the fans and the rest of the league.

Edited by Avi Shravan