The hopes of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers of having a fresh start were put into trouble after the veteran forward, Trevor Ariza, suffered an injury that led to surgery days before the NBA's regular-season opener.

LeBron, Lakers Season Starts in Danger After Ariza's Injury

After getting hit with a rash of injuries the previous year, the LA Lakers looked to have a better start this season, but the injury bug has returned prior to their on-court action this season.

According to Clutchpoints, LA Lakers reporter Mike Trudell revealed that team's veteran forward, Trevor Ariza, would be out of commission for at least two months after undergoing a procedure on his ankle.

Trudell said that during the The Lakers press release, the team revealed that Ariza had an arthroscopic debridement procedure performed on his right ankle.

The 36-year-old wingman was expected to make a full and complete recovery, but before that, LA Lakers' team doctors would be reevaluating Ariza in approximately 8 weeks, and an update would be provided at that time.

Despite not having a clearer picture of whether Ariza would be in the Lakers' rotation, the veteran would have a solid impact on the team off the bench. Since the Lakers' starting lineup was not set in stone yet, it was not sure if Ariza would have been a part of it.

However, the veteran proved over the years that the decent minutes that he got in his previous teams were translated into numbers and would mean huge for LA's rotation, especially by coming off the bench to give forwards like LeBron James and Anthony Davis some rest.

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Trevor Ariza's Role in LA Lakers

In his stint with the Miami Heat, Ariza played a key role for the team last season. He averaged 28 minutes per contest while he played as the ideal veteran 3-and-D wing for the Heat.

Trevor Ariza's injury was a tough blow for the Lakers squad, especially in terms of floor-spacing and defensive chops because he complemented with the high-usage players of the Lakers, which have littered throughout their roster.

Despite having stars like LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis, the LA Lakers needed players like Ariza who could do the dirty work and hit open shots when they were asked. The team also were looking for players who would do most of the heavy lifting.

Furthermore, the absence of Ariza would mean extra minutes for guys like Kent Bazemore and Wayne Ellington, who were still trying to prove themselves in purple and gold jerseys. The wingmen would fill the role of the 3-and-D wing while Trevor Ariza still recovers.

The early season rotations are bound to be fluid as head coach Frank Vogel is close to figuring out the best way to maximize the current LA Lakers roster. The team also hopes that the injury setback would be a rare blip for the purple and gold this season.

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Update On Lakers Forward Trevor Ariza - Lakers Nation