The new-look Los Angeles Lakers have looked very promising so far, as they have won three of four games with D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley in their lineup.
They started off with a road win nearly two weeks ago over the Golden State Warriors without LeBron James, and they have won their last two contests against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Warriors at home.
Russell has played well during that stretch, but he suffered a sprained ankle on Thursday against Golden State that limited him to just nine minutes.
Although he didn’t seem concerned about the injury, head coach Darvin Ham feels he won’t be able to play on Sunday when the Lakers visit the Dallas Mavericks.
Darvin Ham says he doubts D’Angelo Russell will play Sunday vs. Dallas.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 24, 2023
Ham did, however, say that “there’s no structural damage” in the guard’s injured ankle.
Ham added that "there’s no structural damage" in Russell's right ankle and, "it’s going to be a day-by-day thing." Russell will join the Lakers' on their road trip, per the team. They will put out a status update on him on Saturday afternoon. https://t.co/tGsP92mceP
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 24, 2023
Not having Russell available would be a big blow, as the Lakers will need to find a way to make Kyrie Irving expend energy on the defensive end.
Dallas is currently in sixth place in the Western Conference, a spot L.A. is aiming to finish in when the regular season ends.
