The LA Lakers have had very few injury concerns this season
In an enticing 2020-21 NBA game, the Golden State Warriors travel to Tinseltown to face the LA Lakers at Staples Center on Monday night.
The LA Lakers, who have won five games on the tro, will look to continue their win streak at the expense of the Golden State Warriors, who have lost their two games after winning four of their previous five.
Stephen Curry has been doing his best to keep the ship afloat, but the Golden State Warriors have struggled to get back to winning ways. Curry’s 28.4 points-per-game clip has come at the cost of his shooting percentage (44.7% from the field) dipping from his career numbers, as he has taken 20.5 field-goal attempts a game.
After enduring a season-ending left-hand injury, the Golden Warriors can ill afford to see Curry overexerting himself.
Meanwhile, the LA Lakers have had very few injury concerns this season. Coach Frank Vogel is carefully juggling his stars’ minutes after the franchise won their 17th championship three months ago.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are routinely listed on the team’s injury report to allow for the two All-Stars to rest as necessary. Fortunately, James has not missed time on the court because of an injury.
The season-ending injuries to Klay Thompson (Achilles) and Marquese Chriss (lower leg) have hampered the Golden State Warriors’ ability to compete at a high-level with the rest of the league’s title contenders.
Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and rookie James Wiseman have been picking up the slack for Thompson and Chriss this season as the Golden State Warriors are adapting to their makeshift roster.
Forward Alen Smailagic will not be back until mid-February, at the very least. After surgery for a minor right meniscal tear early this month, Smailagic will be re-evaluated by the Golden State Warriors in a few weeks.
The LA Lakers have three players listed as probable, with a fourth one marked as questionable for the Golden State Warriors game on Monday.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (left-ankle sprain), Anthony Davis (lower-back tightness) and Wesley Matthews (right-Achilles soreness) are the players listed as probable.
LeBron James, who suffered a left ankle sprain in the first game of the season, is questionable for the game. However, James has been on the LA Lakers’ injured list almost every game,, but he continues to play night in and night out.
Regardless of the status of these players, Vogel will likely have an almost complete LA Lakers roster available by game-time except for a couple of reserve players.
Jared Dudley (right-calf soreness) and Kostas Antetokounmpo (right knee patellar tendinitis) are out of the game, though.
The Golden State Warriors have been using Kelly Oubre Jr. as their starting shooting guard, as Klay Thompson is out for the season.
Andrew Wiggins’ backup would have been Marquese Chriss until his season-ending injury just two games into the season.
Eric Paschall, Damion Lee, Kent Bazemore and Brad Wanamaker have made use of the extra playing time, and all four will continue to be a key part of the rotation against the LA Lakers.
The LA Lakers have been fortunate that injuries have rarely affected their level of play. If either LeBron James or Anthony Davis misses the game, they’d likely play Kyle Kuzma or Markieff Morris as a starter.
Should KCP or Wesley Matthews be unavailable, the LA Lakers have Talen Horton-Tucker ready in the wings.