Lakers’ Injury Report Ahead of Clash with Clippers – LeBron James Ruled Out
In preparation for Tuesday night’s showdown against the L.A. Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers have released their injury report, revealing key player statuses. LeBron James, dealing with left ankle peroneal tendinopathy, has been ruled out, marking his fifth absence of the season. The Lakers, however, list Jarred Vanderbilt (left heel bursitis) and Anthony Davis (bilateral Achilles tendinopathy) as probable for the game.
The recent blowout win against the Portland Trail Blazers allowed head coach Darvin Ham to manage the workload of his players, including the aforementioned quartet. Despite their appearance in the last game, LeBron James’ lingering ankle discomfort prompts his absence against the Clippers.
In a positive development, Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish are off the injury report. Prince, returning after sitting out against Portland due to knee soreness, had been dealing with persistent pain, prompting the Lakers to give him a night off for recovery.
Darvin Ham explained, “He’s been fighting through some pain for some time now, so we just wanted to try to get in front of it and give him a night to calm it down a little bit.”
With the absence of James and considering the scoring prowess of the Clippers on the wing, Prince’s return brings valuable 3-and-D skills to the Lakers’ lineup. Prince, averaging 9.8 points per game this season while shooting 38.7% from beyond the arc, is expected to contribute significantly.
In a related note, as the NBA trade deadline approaches and the Lakers hover at .500 on the season, discussions about potential roster upgrades have emerged. However, when questioned about possible trade moves, LeBron James chose not to engage in speculative discussions.
“I don’t play fantasy basketball. What I do is focus on the guys that’s here in this uniform and show up to work every day,” James stated. “It’s too disrespectful to be thinking about what we need or what we don’t have. We’ve been putting in the work, and that’s what we got to continue to do. We like the way we’ve been playing the last couple of games.”