Trevor Ariza missed the first 30 games of the season for the Lakers, and for nearly the entire time he was out, the team spoke about how important he was.
How his absence kept them from seeing how good they could really be.
How he was integral to their shift towards a small-ball identity.
Ariza had to listen to it all from the sidelines, patiently waiting to make the level of impact he knew he could. Fast forward a few months, and Ariza’s effectiveness has come in fits and starts, and his process of getting up to speed wasn’t helped by being shelved in the health and safety protocols just two games into his return.