Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain) will make his return for the Los Angeles Lakers against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. Additionally, LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) has been ruled out after being listed as questionable earlier in the day.
Vincent has not played in nearly a month, missing the Lakers’ last nine games with the back issue. Prior to that, he was one of head coach JJ Redick’s most trusted reserves off the bench so it will be interesting to see how he is utilized in his return and whether he may be limited in his first action back.
James is coming off an excellent outing on Tuesday against the New Orleans Pelicans as he finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the Lakers’ third consecutive victory. The Lakers have been cautious with him on back-to-backs all season long, however, and that continues with him being ruled out in San Antonio.
Meanwhile, Austin Reaves (left calf strain), Rui Hachimura (right calif strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) all remain out for L.A.
Facing the Spurs without James and other key players in the lineup will not be an easy task. The last time these two teams met, the Spurs dominated the Lakers in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals, ending their run in the tournament. And superstar big man Victor Wembanyama returned to the court on Tuesday as well, so the Lakers will need to be locked in.
It will be interesting to see how Redick adjusts his rotation with James out and Vincent back in uniform. Nick Smith Jr. and Dalton Knecht have been getting consistent minutes as of late and while both have had some solid performances, there have been some rough nights as well. With Vincent being a more reliable defender, Redick could be more inclined to go with the the veteran at the expense of minutes for the younger guards.
If nothing else, Vincent’s return gives Redick another much-needed backcourt option as the team’s depth has been strained with so many injuries to account for, now adding James to the list.
LeBron James emphasizes Lakers must bend their game to fit around Luka Doncic
One thing that the Lakers can rely on this season has been the greatness of Luka Doncic, who has been playing at an MVP level. And James made it clear that the Lakers players must bend their games to fit next to Doncic and not the other way around.
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