Lakers News: D’Angelo Russell Ruled Out Against Spurs

Trevor Lane
2 Min Read

The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into an extremely difficult stretch of the season, and things just got that much tougher. Shortly before the Lakers were set to face off against the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers revealed that guard D’Angelo Russell would be forced to miss the game due to a sore knee:

Obviously, this is a major blow to Los Angeles and their hopes of upsetting the Spurs. With Russell out, head coach Luke Walton will have to look elsewhere for a starting point guard and floor leader. Russell, who leads the team in both usage rate and touches, will be sorely missed against an always-strong opponent in San Antonio.

It appears that the injury occurred at some point during practice, as Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times reported via Twitter that he had his knee wrapped up after yesterday’s practice:

Hopefully, the injury is nothing serious. NBA players can develop a wide variety of aches and pains, and in an ideal scenario, the Lakers are just looking to be careful with their promising young guard. Mark Medina of the Orange County Register is reporting that Russell will be evaluated by a doctor soon:

Without Russell, the Lakers could turn to veteran point guards Jose Calderon or Marcelo Huertas to pick up the slack. Neither has seen much playing time recently, but both are solid veterans with the ability to run an offense. If Walton decides to go a less conventional route, he could slide rookie Brandon Ingram into the starting lineup, as Ingram has essentially been the point guard for the second unit for much of the season.

Backup shooting guards Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams both also have some experience playing point guard. Regardless of which option Walton chooses, Russell will certainly be missed.

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com