The Los Angeles Lakers got off to a good start this season, but unfortunately for the team, injuries are beginning to pile up. Point guard D’Angelo Russell is out for at least two weeks, while forward Julius Randle missed the team’s last game as well. Now Nick Young might also join them on the injured list.
According to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, Young, as well as Randle, are considered doubtful for tonight’s rematch against the Golden State Warriors:
Walton said Randle and Young are considered doubtful for tonight vs Warriors
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) November 25, 2016
Things just continue to get worse for the Lakers on the injury front as any hopes of redeeming themselves against the Warriors becomes that much more difficult without these key pieces. Should both Randle and Young sit out, the Lakers would find themselves without three of their top five scorers, going up against the highest scoring team in the NBA who just scored 149 points against these Lakers two days ago.
Randle has been dealing with a hip pointer since the beginning of the week and sat out Wednesday’s game after being limited in Tuesday’s win over the Thunder. Young’s toe injury is a new development and one that couldn’t come at a worse time for the Lakers who are in the midst of their roughest stretch of games so far this season.
With Randle out on Wednesday, head coach Luke Walton chose to give rookie Brandon Ingram his first start, and since they are playing the Warriors again, that would seem likely move. Walton has a couple of options to replace Young should he be out, but it would seem that Jordan Clarkson would be the most likely choice because of his defensive ability facing the backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
The Lakers are in a bad position right now thanks to these injuries, and these could threaten to derail the great start of this team.