The Lakers take on the rival Boston Celtics tonight in their first game since the trade deadline. And the Lakers have some good news and bad news.
Pau Gasol returns tonight for the first time since February 4. Unfortunately, Steve Nash continues to deal with nerve root irritation and will not play tonight:
Pau Gasol will play tonight while Steve Nash is out with nerve root issues against Boston (via @LakersReporter)
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) February 21, 2014
It will be good to see Gasol back on the court as he was playing extremely well before his injury. The Lakers offense has really struggled lately and his presence will help.
The Lakers did make one trade before the deadline, shipping out Steve Blake to the Golden State Warriors. Many players were not happy with losing Blake as he had a great connection with his teammates. But the Lakers did get two new young players in return.
According to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell, Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks will both make their Lakers debut tonight against the Celtics:
New Lakers Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks may play tonight, said D'Antoni, especially with Young/Henry still out.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 21, 2014
With the Lakers still missing some key pieces on the wing, Brooks and Bazemore could be forced into some decent minutes tonight, much more than they received with the Warriors.
The Lakers have struggled to keep healthy bodies this season, but with these returns and new players, they may finally have enough players to field two full lineups.
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Lakers’ Pau Gasol Remains A Laker After Trade Deadline, Confident In Free Agency