The Lakers got good news on the injury front when it comes to Deandre Ayton.
The big man missed Tuesday’s game against the Clippers due to a knee contusion. He suffered the injury during the first half
of Sunday’s game against the Jazz, resulting in him missing the second half of the game.
Ahead of the showdown between LA teams, head coach JJ Redick provided an encouraging update on Ayton.
After Tuesday’s game against the Clippers, the Lakers will be off until Friday when they wrap up their NBA Cup games at home against the Mavericks. That will not only afford Ayton time to recuperate, but will also allow him to do it all in Los Angeles.
If he ultimately misses just 1.5 games, it’ll ultimately be something close to a best-case scenario. Obviously, no injury is a good thing, but Ayton avoiding anything long-term is good news.
While it is fortunate that it appears to be a short-term injury, there is some bad timing with it coming right after LeBron James made his debut. It delays the starting group getting more time together.
In his absence, Maxi Kleber has stepped up with some strong performances, particularly in the second half in Utah. Without a clear spot for him in the rotation when Ayton returns, it’ll be interesting to see how and if Redick adjusts lineups upon his return.
It’s a good problem for Redick and the Lakers have and one that, hopefully, they have to address sooner than later.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on BlueSky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
