On Feb. 23, point guard D’Angelo Russell sustained a sprained ankle, and he has been out of action ever since for the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the meantime, Dennis Schroder has done a solid job of filling in for him in the starting lineup, and Austin Reaves has played very well off the bench while providing some ball-handling and facilitating for the Lakers.
Somehow, they have won four of the six games Russell has sat out, as well as seven of their last 10 overall.
He has been trending positively over the last few days, and he is expected to not only make his return on Friday when L.A. hosts the Toronto Raptors, but he will also be in the starting lineup.
Darvin Ham on D’Angelo Russell: “He went through a full practice today and we expect him to be available for tomorrow.”
Russell will return to the starting lineup, with Schröder back to the bench. Ham added Schröder will still be in the mix to finish games.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 9, 2023
The Lakers have struggled offensively at times without him, and his ability to hit from the outside, score efficiently from all three levels, facilitate for others and create fast-break opportunities will give them a significant boost.
