Los Angeles Lakers second-year forward Brandon Ingram was diagnosed with a head contusion after the team’s second preseason game and missed their third one against the Denver Nuggets.
After practicing with the team in full Friday, the team announced Saturday that Ingram was officially cleared to return Sunday when the Lakers travel to Las Vegas to take on the Sacramento Kings via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
As expected, Lakers say officially that Brandon Ingram (head contusion) is available to play in tomorrow's game.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) October 7, 2017
Ingram has struggled a bit to begin the preseason, scoring 9.5 points per game in his two appearances while shooting just 29.2 percent from the field. Still, the preseason is an opportunity for the Lakers’ young and overhauled roster to gel, so Ingram will need all the reps he can get as he and the rest of the team continue to prepare for the season to come.
The Lakers also listed Lonzo Ball, who has a mild left ankle sprain, and Andrew Bogut (strained left groin) as questionable for Sunday, and the absence of the former players means Ingram might be called upon for a bit more ballhandling than normal in Sunday’s game.
Ingram said he’s up to the challenge after practice Friday, telling reporters that he can see himself “running a few plays from the point position” and “mixing it up a little bit.”
With Ingram back in the lineup, the Lakers will likely move veteran forward Luol Deng back to the bench, while Kyle Kuzma could see less time on the wing and more at the power forward position, depending on how Lakers head coach Luke Walton decides to sort out his rotation and how cautious the team decides to be with Ingram as he returns to game action.
The Lakers tip Sunday at 6 p.m. Pacific in Las Vegas, with all the proceeds from their game going to a benefit fund for victims of the Las Vegas shooting last weekend.
