Getty Lakers center Andre Drummond.
Andre Drummond will miss a second consecutive game after suffering a gruesome toe injury in his Los Angeles Lakers debut per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Drummond was limited to just 14 minutes in his debut, scoring four points and grabbing just a pair of rebounds and did not play on Friday against the Kings.
“Lakers newly-acquired center Andre Drummond will miss a second straight game, today vs. the Clippers, with a torn toenail and bruised right big toe, a source with knowledge of the situation tells ESPN,” McMenamin reported on Sunday.
Lakers newly-acquired center Andre Drummond will miss a second straight game, today vs. the Clippers, with a torn toenail and bruised right big toe, a source with knowledge of the situation tells ESPN
Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Drummond is dealing with quite “a great deal of discomfort” and is struggling to get his shoe on.
“He’s still having trouble putting his shoe on the first two days through it,” Vogel told reporters prior to the game. “He’s just not there yet. He’s still in a great deal of discomfort and we want to make sure that this thing gets behind him.”
Vogel said Andre Drummond is still in “a great deal of discomfort” with the toe, and is struggling to get his shoe on, so he’s “just not there yet.”
The Lakers were hopeful the injury setback would only be a minor one and expected Drummond to miss one or two games with the banged-up toe.
“I didn’t really think anything of it,” Drummond told reporters after suffering the injury. “I came back in the second quarter and it was hurting a little bit more. And then after halftime, I finally took my sock off to look and my whole toenail was gone. So, it was just all bad from there. I couldn’t walk or run. So I just told coach to take me out.
“What do you do for a toe? I don’t know,” Drummond added. “I’m not really sure what to do. I’m just going to talk to the training staff and find out what’s the best thing to do to get back as quick as possible.”
The Lakers will also be without veteran Wesley Matthews, who is out with a neck contusion.
Andre Drummond (right big toe contusion) is out today against the Clippers, missing his second consecutive game.
Wesley Matthews (neck contusion) is also out.
Marc Gasol Likely Back With Starters Again
With Drummond out, the Lakers will likely turn to veteran Marc Gasol to log some hefty minutes at the center position. After playing a season-low 5 minutes in Drummond’s debut, Gasol played 28 minutes in a win against the Kings on Friday, notching 5 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists.
There’s been much debate about Gasol’s role going forward with Drummond in the lineup, but his versatility is what makes him a special piece for the Lakers, which Vogel explained after the game.
“I think people need to understand how good of a player Marc Gasol is and how valuable he is to what we’re doing,” Vogel told reporters on Friday. “And we’re going to play our most important players, so he’s going to help us win a championship this year. That’s the plan. That’s the vision. Obviously Andre coming along gives us the depth. But we’re going to need all three of those guys. We stated that from Day 1, and Marc is one of our most important players. He dominated the game tonight with five points, OK? And this is what Marc brings to the table.”
From Lakers Center Damian Jones Lands With Kings
The Lakers tested out center Damian Jones earlier this season with a pair of 10-day contracts, but ultimately did not choose to sign him for the rest of the season.
While Jones won’t be heading back to the Lakers, he’s staying within the Pacific Divison, signing another 10-day deal with the Sacramento Kings, per Jason Jones of The Athletic. It’s Jones’ third team this season.
Per a league source, the Kings plan to sign center Damian Jones to a 10-day contract. Adds much-needed size/athleticism to the frontcourt. He was most recently with the Lakers on two 10-day deals.
Jones drew six starts during his time in the purple and gold, giving the Lakers plenty of time to see what he could give them. Jones averaged 5.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and nearly a block per game. He was also hyper-effective from the field, hitting 16-17 of the shots he took as a member of the Lakers.
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