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Los Angeles Lakers Rumors [Update]: Star Point Guard D’Angelo Russell Out At Least Two Weeks, Julius Randle And Nick Young Could Also Miss Some Time

By Daniel Benjamin
Published on: 23:59 PST, Nov 23, 2016

The Los Angeles Lakers will reportedly be without a key piece of their rotation for the next few weeks.

ESPN is reporting that Lakers’ star point guard D’Angelo Russell will miss at least the next two weeks after receiving a PRP (plasma-rich-plasma) injection in his left knee on Wednesday. PRP injections are used to stimulate the flow of blood and help with healing in areas with decreased blood flow, explains Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet. The minimally invasive procedure was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Steve Yoon.

Russell has missed three of the team’s last four games with a sore knee, including the 149-106 shellacking the Lakers suffered against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. The Lakers said that he will be re-evaluated in a week.

It is unknown how long Russell has dealt with the injury, but coach Luke Walton doesn’t believe that the second-year pro will need surgery.

“No, not unless somebody else tells me something different. It [the injury] kind of caught me by surprise. He was limping around in practice one day and we took him out because he wasn’t running right, and they told me that his knee had been bothering him. I know he played through it; I don’t remember the day or for how long, but he was playing through it for a while there and playing good. Obviously, it got worse.”

Russell has grown up tremendously this year from his up and down rookie campaign. The 20-year-old is second on the team in scoring with 16.1 points a game as he has reached double-figures in 10 of his 13 games. He is also grabbing 3.4 rebounds a game and doling out 4.8 assists while increasing his shooting and scoring efficiency from a year ago. Russell is currently shooting 41.3 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Los Angeles (8-9) has lost five of its last seven games. The loss of Russell hurts the team a lot as the young Lakers are still trying to find their identity. The Lakers are 1-2 without Russell.

Veteran Jose Calderon, who has started the three games in Russell’s absence, is expected to remain in the starting lineup. He had seven points, four rebounds, and six dimes along with two turnovers in 20 minutes against the Warriors on Wednesday. Calderon is averaging 8.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in his three starts. The 35-year-old has only appeared in eight games overall, compiling 4.5 points along with 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 52.0 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from beyond the arc in 12.0 minutes of action.

What the Lakers really need is for Jordan Clarkson to step up. Clarkson has been very productive coming off the bench this season. The 24-year-old has produced 12 double-digit scoring performances, which includes three games of 20 or more points. He is averaging 14.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals. Clarkson is shooting a respectable 46.8 percent from the field though he has struggled beyond the arc lately, making 1-of-his-last-9 shots from long distance and is hitting on 33.3 percent of his three-point attempts overall.

With the current two-to-three-week timetable, Russell could miss between seven and 11 games. Los Angeles hosts Golden State on Friday and Atlanta on Sunday before embarking on a four-game road trip.

Update: Julius Randle and Nick Young (sprained toe) sat out the Lakers 109-85 loss to the Warriors on Friday. Both players are questionable for the game against Atlanta on November 27.

Russell is not the only Laker hurting. Power forward Julius Randle also sat out Wednesday’s game against the Warriors due to a hip pointer. The 21-year-old is listed as day-to-day, per Rotoworld, though it is possible that he will miss an extended period. Randle originally suffered the injury during practice earlier this week.

“He tried to play through it [Tuesday] night,” Walton said. “Obviously, he didn’t look like the same that he’s been the last couple games before that. It’s pretty painful every time he cuts or tries to make a basketball move.”

Randle had perhaps his worst game of the season on Tuesday. Randle scored a season-low three points, on 1-of-5 shooting, in the Lakers’ 111-109 win over Oklahoma City. He also had five rebounds — marking the fourth time he has finished with five or less caroms — along with four assists and tied a season-high with six turnovers.

Randle has also shown a lot of growth this year, especially with his efficiency and playmaking. Randle is averaging 13.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 27.7 minutes of action. He is shooting 53.1 percent from the field and has accumulated three double-doubles and his first ever triple-double.

If Randle is out an extended period, it is unknown who will start in his place. Against Golden State, the Lakers shifted Luol Deng to power forward and inserted Brandon Ingram into the starting lineup. Ingram had his best game of his rookie season on Wednesday, pouring in a career-high 16 points as he made 6-of-12 shots including 2-of-his-4 three-point attempts. Forward Larry Nance Jr. could also see an expanded role.

https://twitter.com/LakersTV/status/801672493371047936

[Featured Image by Rich Pedroncelli/AP Images]

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D'Angelo Russell Jose Calderon Luke Walton Brandon Ingram
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