For some, something smells particularly off about these new-look Los Angeles Lakers this preseason.
Unfortunately, the Lakers have been hit with a very early injury bug, with stars Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton and Ziaire Williams battling ailments. Although head coach JJ Redick and the Lakers have maintained that these injuries are nothing serious, some fans aren’t buying that explanation.
Kessler, for one, has yet to suit up for the first three preseason games, while Sexton hasn’t appeared close to healthy over the last couple of weeks as the Lakers approach the fourth of five preseason games.
Are Lakers Being Transparent About Recent Injuries?
According to Redick, Kessler has a jammed pinky and Sexton has a “lower-leg” injury, while Williams, a potential starter, is nursing a foot contusion. But if these injuries are truly not concerning, why have Kessler and Sexton not played this preseason?
That’s a point raised by a listener during a recent live-stream episode of Lakers reporter Jovan Buha’s podcast, “Buha’s Block.” The listener, listed as @Scoldylocks, wrote, “Lakers more secretive than the illuminati. I don’t trust them when they say Walker has a jammed thumb (or what they say about any injury tbh).”
Buha replied, “I think that’s totally fair and that perception is warranted. I think the turning point, in my opinion, was the Kendrick Nunn injury. Since then, for whatever reason, they have not been forthright with injury statuses, and guys are day-to-day for weeks and sometimes months, or it’ll just be, ‘He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks.’ Two weeks pass, we don’t get an update, we ask, and then it just keeps getting pushed back.”
It isn’t totally uncommon for teams to be somewhat clandestine about injuries. Especially with it still being preseason and teams not being required to provide an injury report before games, the Lakers are not giving away much information.
That noted, Lakers fans have reasons to be concerned about Kessler, Sexton and Williams’ statuses with the regular season fast approaching.
The Latest on Sexton, Kessler and Williams
Williams is dealing with a foot contusion, but unlike Sexton and Kessler, the 25-year-old forward has appeared in preseason. It is unclear what the severity of Williams’ foot contusion is.
As for Sexton, fans are growing worried that the Lakers may be in grave danger of not having their star backup point guard to start the regular season.
“We don’t even know if Sexton’s gonna be available for (the final preseason) game,” Buha expressed. “There’s a chance he just doesn’t play in the preseason. They’re downplaying that one, but all the signs have been he’s yet to play in scrimmaging. … Sexton is the one guy now who has just not participated at all in scrimmaging for the entirety of camp, and it’s been long enough where it’s becoming a bit of concern. That is something to monitor. JJ indicated that is he not fearing that Sexton won’t be available to start the season in terms of the regular season … but it does not sound like he is close to returning in the next week or two.”
Kessler, the team’s new star center, is, of course, the more important player and therefore a naturally bigger concern.
“JJ Redick said ‘we’ll see’ on if Walker Kessler will make his debut against the Warriors on Tuesday,” Buha reported Saturday on X, formerly Twitter, following Lakers practice. “Kessler participated in practice today but didn’t take part in live action. Redick said he might return to scrimmaging tomorrow.”
The Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. Redick could provide another update on Kessler and Sexton’s potential availability following Sunday’s practice.
Lakers Under Fire for Suspicious Injury Reports Involving 3 Crucial Star Players