The injury bug has bitten the Los Angeles Lakers of late as the team is dealing with multiple ailments on the roster, with D’Angelo Russell the most recent to fall victim.
After taking a charge in the third quarter of a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Russell took a hard fall and was forced out of the game with what the Lakers called a tailbone contusion. He was then subsequently ruled out for the games against the New Orleans Pelicans and most recently the Miami Heat, both of which were disappointing losses.
Before losing to Miami, Darvin Ham said Russell is dealing with some soreness and considered day-to-day.
“There’s a little bit of a contusion there so there’s some soreness he’s trying to work through,” Ham said. “He’s also day-to-day.”
A contusion shouldn’t keep Russell out of the Lakers lineup for too long, though the team’s depth is being heavily tested with several role players out. For example, Ham decided to call on Jalen Hood-Schifino in the second quarter against the Heat, but the rookie floundered and was benched for the rest of the night.
L.A. has also been without another ball-handler in Gabe Vincent for essentially the whole season, and versatile wing Rui Hachimura has also missed a handful of games due to various ailments, most recently a calf strain.
The lack of playmaking and ball-handling when Russell is unavailable is hard to miss, and even though Ham started Austin Reaves against Miami, it wasn’t enough to spruce up the offense. Russell has drawn a lot of criticism for his recent play, but he’s still a capable outside shooter and passer who can help solve the Lakers’ offensive woes.
With Los Angeles set to play the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, it remains to be seen if Russell will be able to suit up. Memphis has been playing better basketball since Ja Morant returned to the lineup, and having someone like Russell would help provide some much-needed spacing.
Anthony Davis: Lakers must communicate better defensively
Outside of injuries, the Laker defense has also declined in recent weeks though Anthony Davis has been as outstanding as ever on that end. While Davis can clean up mistakes, he emphasized that the team as a whole has to be better about communicating on defense.
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