The Los Angeles Lakers are poised to field their complete roster following the All-Star break, a rarity for the injury-plagued team this season.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick announced Thursday that he anticipates having every player ready for Friday’s matchup against their cross-town rivals, the Clippers, including star player Luka Doncic.
Doncic, who leads the NBA in scoring with 32.8 points per game, has been sidelined for four contests prior to the break because of a minor hamstring injury. Meanwhile, starting center Deandre Ayton was absent from the team’s final two games before the break due to right knee soreness.
According to Redick, Austin Reaves will no longer face playing time limitations. After missing five weeks with a calf injury, Reaves made his comeback on February 3rd and has been restricted to 20-29 minutes in his initial five games since returning.
As of 4 p.m. Pacific Time, the official injury report for the upcoming game had not been released.
The combination of LeBron James, Doncic, and Reaves has only shared the court for 10 games this season for the Lakers, who hold a 33-21 record and sit in fifth place in the Western Conference as they enter the final stretch of the regular season. All three players have battled various injuries throughout the campaign.
Doncic has appeared in 42 games, contributing 8.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds alongside his league-leading scoring average. Reaves has been limited to just 28 games but ranks second on the team with 25.4 points per game while also adding 6.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds.
James, who missed the season’s opening games while recovering from sciatica in his right side, has participated in 36 contests and is averaging 22.0 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds.
In his debut season with Los Angeles, Ayton has contributed 13.2 points and leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game across 46 appearances.
