The Los Angeles Lakers released their injury report for Monday’s game against the Phoenix Suns and Marcus Smart remains out due to lower back injury management while LeBron James is available to return after a one-game absence.
This is the second night of a back-to-back for the Lakers after beating the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night, so they may be playing with some tired legs against Phoenix.
Having James back will help, although not having Smart is a big loss, especially defensively, as the Lakers look to slow down Suns star Devin Booker.
Regardless, the Lakers will be going for their eighth straight win and have been playing some great basketball as of late. That coincides with the team finally getting healthy and having a chance to build chemistry, although head coach JJ Redick still feels there is room for improvement. That was reflected by them taking their foot off the gas against the shorthanded Pelicans and the game being closed than it should’ve been.
Monday’s game against the Suns starts the first of five straight games for L.A. against teams with winning records, which will be a good test to see where they are at as a unit.
LeBron James eventually expected to play in Lakers back-to-backs
LeBron James sat out the Lakers’ first night of the back-to-back against the Pelicans with the team being cautious early in the season considering he did not have a full training camp to ramp up. Once he is full ramped up though, James is expected to be able to play in back-to-backs.
“We’re gonna build him up hopefully to be able to play in back-to-backs, that’s the goal,” head coach JJ Redick said. “But you are correct, every back-to-back is a case by case basis. That’s just the reality of the NBA right now. But we want him to be able to play in back-to-backs and so does he, so we’re gonna work towards that.”
Considering James is on the verge of turning 41 and in his 23rd season, the Lakers will be cautious with him in the regular season so that he can be fresh and healthy for the playoffs. At certain points of the season though, he seems willing to play in back-to-backs if needed.
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