Los Angeles Lakers announced center Deandre Ayton was ruled out of the second half of the game against the Denver Nuggets with a left eye injury.
Ayton got hit in the face towards the end of the first half and did not come out for the third quarter with his team as Jaxson Hayes got the start in his place. In 15 minutes of action in the first half before suffering the injury, Ayton had four points and eight rebounds on 2-of-5 shooting.
It remains to be seen how serious the injury is, but if the Lakers are forced to be without Ayton for a period then Hayes would step into the starting lineup. Drew Timme has also been getting a look in recent games and has played well, so he could lockdown the backup spot in the short-term.
The Lakers have been bit by the injury bug all season so this is nothing new for them. Ayton has been up and down for L.A. but was coming off his best game of the year in Sunday’s win over the Toronto Raptors, so hopefully this is a short-term absence for the big man.
With the team beginning a season-long eight-game road trip in Denver, they are entering a tough stretch and need to find a way to pick up some wins to stay afloat.
JJ Redick: Lakers need to keep Deandre Ayton involved offensively
Whenever Ayton is on the floor for the Lakers, JJ Redick recently emphasized that they need to find a way to keep him involved offensively.
“There’s a trust level that I think exists with our guys, particularly when he’s in that short-role area,” Redick recently said. “Those our post spacing, where he can get those little dump-off passes around the restricted area, just got such a great touch. But for all our guys, the pass is what connects us offensively. Even the defensive-minded players, they still want to feel like they’re part of the offense. That’s just the natural thing that basketball players have.
“And as a big, in particular you’re involved in a lot of plays where you don’t touch the ball. There’s certain players that are not involved in a lot of plays that don’t touch the ball. They’re in the corner, for example. But a big is typically screening a lot, rolling, so you’re doing a lot, and you don’t always get rewarded. And I think it’s important that we continue to look for him.”
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