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The Los Angeles Lakers guard rotation is looking rather thin at the moment as D’Angelo Russell continues his recovery from an ankle injury.
According to Allen Sliwa, who was speaking on a March 4 episode of ‘Lakers Talk with Allen Sliwa’ there is a chance that Russell’s recovery will continue to be a work in progress, with his immediate return to the rotation unlikely, as he still looks to be some distance from being game ready.
“I could tell you this much,” Sliwa said, “We saw him warm up pregame. He did not look like somebody that was ready to come back on Sunday. Now, I could be wrong. But he just wasn’t doing real drills. He wasn’t kind of sprinting and cutting and everything else. That actually concerned me a little bit. I thought, at least in my opinion, I thought that hopefully he’d be a little bit further in his progress.”
Russell has only played in four games since returning to the Lakers at the February 9 trade deadline and is currently averaging 13.5 points, 5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 44.2% from the field and 35.3% from deep in a Lakers jersey.
Anthony Davis Heaps Praise on Dennis Schroder
During Russell’s absence, Dennis Schroder has stepped into a primary ball-handling role for the Lakers, even though he’s dealing with his own injury issues. When speaking to the media following the Lakers’ March 5 victory over the Golden State Warriors, Anthony Davis took some time to praise the veteran guard’s recent contributions.
“It’s a lot of pressure on him right now. He’s our primary ball-handler. … He’s very tough. He knows what’s at stake. He wants to get to the playoffs. He wants to win. … Hats off to him. He’s been a huge part for us,” Davis said.
Schroder, 29, is also dealing with an ankle injury but somehow managed to play 33 minutes against the Warriors, providing his team with 11 points, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 rebound, in a contest that saw the Lakers add another much-needed win to their season tally and keep their chances of making the postseason alive.
Lakers Could Sign Kemba Walker As Another Ball Handler
According to Peter Dewey of Lakers Daily, the Lakers ‘are considering’ giving Kemba Walker a workout as they search for some additional ball-handling ahead of what they hope is a postseason run.
“Sources tell Lakers Daily that the Lakers are considering bringing in Kemba Walker for a workout,” Dewey wrote. “The team is looking for another ball-handler with LeBron James expected to miss extended time due to a foot injury.”
Walker is a free agent after being waived by the Dallas Mavericks, and while his knee injuries are well documented, he could provide some additional relief at the guard position during times of need or for spurts in games when both Russell and Schroder need to sit.
Unfortunately, there’s no telling what shape Walker is currently in, as the veteran guard has only played nine games this season, averaging 16 minutes per contest, and hasn’t seen an NBA floor since the Mavericks’ loss to the Boston Celtics on January 5.
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