The Los Angeles Lakers have been dealing with a plethora of injuries to key players lately, but perhaps none was more disappointing than the calf injury suffered by resurgent shooting guard Nick Young. Heading into the summer, most expected that Young would be cut from the team following two years of poor play and off-court drama.
Instead, in one of the feel-good stories of the season, Young has found himself reborn under new coach Luke Walton. Not only has Young stuck with the team, but he has earned a starting role alongside also-injured guard D’Angelo Russell in the Lakers back court. It appeared that disaster had struck when Young appeared to hurt his Achilles against the New Orleans Pelicans, but it was later revealed to be a calf strain.
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Now, according to Lakers Reporter Mike Trudell, it appears that Young is on the verge of making his return to the Lakers:
Nick Young is hoping to be ready to play by Monday evening’s game in Sacramento.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 10, 2016
Young’s return would certainly be welcome news for Los Angeles, who miss not only the 13.3 points that he provides, but also his defense. For most of his career, he had a reputation as a poor defender, but Walton challenged Young to improve in that area over the offseason, and he responded by becoming the team’s most dependable stopper on the wing.
In the midst of a five-game losing streak, a return by Young, as well as Russell, could be just what the Lakers need to get back on track. He is even doing well enough that a Sunday return hasn’t been completely ruled out:
Young hasn’t been ruled out of Sunday’s game, but it’d be surprising if he were able to play in a back-to-back right off an injury.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 10, 2016
However, the Lakers are all but certain to proceed with caution. Pushing Young to return early, particularly in a back-to-back situation, could potentially risk further injury. Most likely, we will see him back on the court on Monday in a tough game against the Sacramento Kings.
