Xavier Henry had been one of the most pleasant surprises for the Lakers this season. His scoring ability has been a welcome addition, and he was also the team’s de facto point guard after Steve Nash, Steve Blake, and Jordan Farmar all went down due to injury.
When Henry went down with a bone bruise to his knee, it really set the team back as it lost one of its best scorers. After being evaluated last week, it was determined that Henry was not ready to return yet. But according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters, it looks as if Henry is much closer to getting back on the floor for the Lakers:
Xavier Henry will not play Thurs vs. Miami. He will push himself at practice on Wednesday according to D’Antoni, and will be evaluated then.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) January 20, 2014
It will hurt to not have Henry on the floor against the two-time defending champions, but it is good news that he will be pushing himself in practice. The Lakers do have games on Friday in Orlando, and Sunday in New York. If everything goes right, it is possible that Henry could be back in a Lakers uniform by the end of the week.
With Henry out, the Lakers have struggled due to a lack of ball handlers and bench scoring. Ryan Kelly has played great as of late and moved himself into the starting lineup, while Manny Harris parlayed his excellent D-League play into a 10-day contract from the Lakers.
Whenever he returns, Henry will be a welcome addition back to the Lakers.
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Pau Gasol On Halfway Point Of The Season, Playoffs, and Ryan Kelly
