The Los Angeles Lakers have been hit with a plethora of injuries to start the season. During these last two weeks D’Angelo Russell had been sidelined after receiving a PRP treatment in his left knee, and guards Nick Young (calf) and Jose Calderon (hamstring) each went down with respective injuries.
The backcourt depth is now extremely thin for head coach Luke Walton, but it appears as though he may receive a glimmer of hope on Tuesday.
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According to Tania Ganguli of the L.A. Times, the 20-year-old leader is set to be re-evaluated by team doctors:
Some better news might come Tuesday. Starting point guard D’Angelo Russell will have his knee re-evaluated, almost two weeks from when he was given a platelet-rich plasma injection to help heal it. He was initially scheduled to meet with the doctor on Monday, but the appointment was moved due to a scheduling conflict.
If all goes well, Russell could get back on the court very soon:
Russell could return to on-court work as the next step in his rehab after that exam. Until now his rehab has mostly consisted of pool cardio work and strength work on his core and glutes.
Russell was originally scheduled to see the team doctor on Monday, but another day of rest for his knee could be a major benefit. While bench players have been given an opportunity to step up in his absence, the Lakers badly need him back in the rotation.
During his absence, the Lakers have clearly missed Russell in terms of his offensive production and play making abilities. Russell has missed the last eight games, in which the Lakers have gone 3-5.
Russell has made it clear that he will not return to the team until he is at 100 percent, which may very well add on some missed time.
On the season, Russell is averaging 16.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 26.8 minutes per game.