Hi, this is Tania Ganguli, Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times, here with your weekly newsletter.
It's getting to be a point in the season that gets really, really difficult for young NBA players. They've eclipsed the number of games they would have played in college and done it in half the time. Their bodies start to break down, their energy lags and many of them don't get it back until after the All-Star break.
It is, of course, a difficult part of the season for all players, but the older ones have more experience taking care of their bodies, which in turn helps them avoid some of the wear their younger counterparts can't avoid.