UPDATED Dec. 31, 2014 1:14 p.m.
The Los Angeles Lakers are hopeful forward Ryan Kelly will be available to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night at the Staples Center, according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
The hope is still that Ryan Kelly will be available for Friday's game. Kelly will go thru another practice tomorrow & shootaround Fri.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 31, 2014
After a successful rookie season, Ryan Kelly has only appeared in one game so far during the 2014-15 NBA season. The second-year forward has been dealing with hamstring issues since training camp, but appears to be on his way back.
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According to Los Angeles Times’ Mike Bresnahan, Kelly took part in some 3-on-3 work before Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Suns. As a result, Kelly could potentially be returning on Jan. 2 when the Lakers take on the Memphis Grizzlies:
Ryan Kelly (hamstring) took part in some 3-on-3 work. Could return Friday against Memphis, Scott said.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) December 28, 2014
With Julius Randle out for the season with a fractured leg, the Lakers have been relatively thin in the frontcourt. While there were rumors the team was looking to add some depth and improve their talent in the frontcourt, the Lakers have gone with a four-man rotation with Jordan Hill, Ed Davis, Carlos Boozer and Robert Sacre.
In his rookie season, Kelly averaged 8.0 points while becoming a three-point threat. While the Lakers are attempting nearly 20 threes per game this season, they are only converting on 35 percent of them and will need Kelly to stay healthy and space the floor.
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