Even after Friday night’s game, the Lakers’ play-in fate is not yet decided. But either way, the team has started speaking out: Even though they don’t want to play any more games than they have to, they’re not afraid to either.
All-Star big man Anthony Davis hinted as much Thursday night, suggesting that perhaps a play-in tournament could help the Lakers catch their missing rhythm after being hit by injuries and COVID-19-related absence: “To be honest, we need a lot of games, we need games to get back accustomed to each other, anyway. So, I mean, if it happens that way, it happens that way.”
When presented with that sentiment from his star, Coach Frank Vogel couched it: While the Lakers believe they would win their way into the first round from a seven or eight seed, they’d prefer not to work that hard.
The seventh- and eighth-place finishers in the Western Conference only have to win one of two possible games to get into the traditional bracket, and the Lakers like their chances (assuming they’re healthy) as much as anyone in the West. And yet, as they know well, there’s a lot more at play this season than just how talented your roster is. And lately, their luck has not been the best.
“There’s just too many things that can happen in a one-game series: foul trouble, roll of an ankle, anything like that could pop up,” Vogel said. “So we definitely want to finish in the top six, it’s a high priority for us. But at the same time, if we end up in the play-in tournament, I’m confident in our group.”
Vogel called any potential benefit of getting a rhythm in play-in games “minimal.”
INJURY UPDATES
The Lakers are hopeful that LeBron James could make a more permanent return any day now, as he’s been laid up again with right ankle soreness dating to his high ankle sprain on March 20.
James has not sat courtside for any of the team’s last three games, which a person with knowledge of his situation said was an excused absence for James to stay off his feet (which was a management technique he used early in his rehab).
Vogel said that he’s expecting to have conversations with James on Saturday to discuss his availability for Sunday’s home game against the formidable Phoenix Suns.
“We just wanted to get through these games, knowing he’s gonna be out this one, and we’re really, literally evaluating things on a day-to-day basis and trying to figure out as his ankle progresses,” he said. “How much do we want to get him in there for rhythm and timing, versus potentially agitating the ankle, you know what I mean? So it’s just something we’re evaluating every day.”Starting point guard Dennis Schröder is still close to a week out at least from passing the COVID-19 protocols. Reserve guard Talen Horton-Tucker missed his second straight game, as expected, while guard Alex Caruso played through a bruised foot that had him listed as “questionable” prior to tip-off.
On a more long-term front, the Lakers also haven’t ruled out a return for bench veteran Jared Dudley, who tore his MCL in his right knee in March. Vogel said he’s returned to some on-court work after deferring surgery, in part so he could stay around the Lakers rather than go through individual rehab.
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May 08, 2021 at 10:49AM
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Lakers say they’re ‘unafraid’ of play-in, but would rather avoid it - Press-Enterprise
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