The Los Angeles Lakers are about to receive a huge boost with the expected returns of Dennis Schroder and Thomas Bryant on Friday.
The Lakers will enter Friday’s contest against the Detroit Pistons with a 3-10 record after shooting woes set them back in the first month of the 2022-23 season. But fortunes seem to be finally turning for L.A.
The Purple and Gold will host the Pistons after snapping their five-game losing streak with a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. They will also be fresh, enjoying a four-day break between the matchup with Brooklyn and the clash with Detroit.
Plus, head coach Darvin Ham says Schroder and Thomas will likely make their season debuts on Friday, adding both players seem to be in good shape. “They both look really, really, good,” Ham said after practice on Wednesday.
Anthony Davis echoed Ham’s assessment. “Unbelievable,” Davis says when asked how Schroder and Bryant have looked in practice.
“Dennis ran a lot of pick and rolls today where he made the right plays. Obviously, he had some turnovers trying to make the right reads, trying to get back to the swing of things. Thomas, energetic, physical… they both played really well today.”
Speaking of what he hopes Schroder and Bryant’s return will add to the Lakers’ game, Ham points out the center’s effort in pick-and-roll plays. When it comes to the German playmaker, the head coach praises his hustle and attention to detail.
“Just his competitive nature,” Ham says. “He competes at a high, high level. He cares about defense, he cares about making an impact offensively, he cares about putting his teammates in the right position to win. And so him being out there just again trying to make himself familiar with everything we’ve been doing.
“It’s one thing when you sit on the sideline and you watch film and you do all that, but being a point guard especially once you’re thrown into the fray just him taking his time trying to get everything right. From the calls, where guys are supposed to be in certain calls and again playing fast the way we want to play.”
Davis hopes Lakers can continue building momentum after four-day break
Things are looking up for the Lakers ahead of their Friday matchup with the 3-12 Pistons. Davis hopes L.A. will be able to turn the extra rest and injury boosts into a winning streak.
“Make it let us feel good going into this off week before Friday’s game,” Davis said of the win over the Nets. “Some good practices and days off, let guys get healthy. We got some guys banged up and have four days to get healthy.
“Hopefully, Bron and some other guys get to come back. And, you know, we go on the road from here. So I think it’s good that we got this win. Give a chance for guys to kind of get away from the game for a couple of days and you know, reset and come back with a mentality that we got to run some off in a row.”
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