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Things are going from bad to worse for the 2-7 Los Angeles Lakers. After yet another loss Sunday, this time against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they will be going into Monday's game against the Utah Jazz without their best player. LeBron James will sit out with left foot soreness. He will not be the only Laker dealing with health issues. Lonnie Walker IV and Patrick Beverley are out with non-COVID illnesses.

James himself dealt with that same non-COVID illness last week, as it seems to be spreading throughout the locker room. Yet he hadn't missed a game thus far this season. That will now change on Monday, and as the season wears on, there will likely be more games he needs to sit out for as he deals with the soreness that tends to come with aging. Managing injuries in your late 30s is an extremely difficult task for NBA players, especially those with a burden as heavy as LeBron's.

Without James, the Lakers are staring down a 2-8 start. Even with him, Monday's game would be no picnic. It is the second half of a back-to-back on the road against the 8-3 Jazz, a team that beat the Lakers three days ago. 

Without their best player, the Lakers will have to lean even more heavily on Russell Westbrook as a shot creator, but he has played so well off of the bench that starting him to counter the absence of LeBron would disrupt his own rhythm.

The Lakers enter Monday's game with an offense ranked dead last and a record that isn't much better. Even when healthy they've been among the NBA's worst teams. Things are probably only going to get worse as injuries set in.