After missing the second half of Friday’s game against the Grizzlies, Deandre Ayton will remain out for the Lakers on Sunday against the Heat.
On the initial injury report on Saturday, Ayton was listed as probable. Hours before the game, he was downgraded to questionable before being ruled out just ahead of the game.
Fortunately, Jaxson Hayes has recently returned and entered the starting lineup for him on Sunday. However, the Lakers have
shown a preference for going small as well. In Friday’s win over the Grizzlies, the Lakers closed with Jarred Vanderbilt as the nominal center.
LA is in the thick of it with its schedule. They will play on the second night of a back-to-back on Monday when they travel to Portland. They then return home on Wednesday to play the Spurs, a game they certainly will hope Ayton is back for to help curtail Victor Wembanyama.
Back spasms, though, are hard to predict and can flare up at any time. As a result, it’s hard to predict his availability for the coming games, including this week.
The Lakers have been fairly cautious with injuries this season. Caution won’t really matter with this injury. Instead, it’s more of a wait-and-see approach that will be needed.
For a team that has been ravaged by injuries this year, it’s another frustrating blow. Hopefully, it’s just a short-term one that Ayton and the team can get through quickly.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on BlueSky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
