In the Los Angeles Lakers’ regular-season finale victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Sunday, the squad finally had a healthy roster.
With LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder returning from injuries and health and safety protocols Saturday against the Indiana Pacers, the Lakers had only Alex Caruso and Jared Dudley on the sidelines.
Head coach Frank Vogel explained Caruso could play if necessary, but resting him was also possible. That made Dudley the only Laker remaining out — until Sunday’s game.
After not having played since the All-Star break in early March because of an MCL tear, Dudley made his return to action, logging four minutes of playing time towards the end of the fourth quarter.
Though his impact was understandably limited — he grabbed two rebounds and missed both of his shot attempts — the chief factor was him stepping on the court again.
After the game, Dudley opened up about his recovery process, expressing gratitude for the way he returned to action.
Jared Dudley said he was facing a potential career-ending injury when he suffered a Grade 3 tear of his MCL. He decided to forgo surgery, and as part of his recovery lost 20 pounds as he changed his diet.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) May 17, 2021
Dudley’s return was perhaps most coveted among his teammates. Anthony Davis joked about the 35-year-old’s return postgame.
* @AntDavis23 appreciated the big @JaredDudley619 return:
"Duds got his appearance … we were missing him out of the Big 3."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 17, 2021
Though Dudley’s value to the Lakers isn’t always on the court, the team definitely enjoys having his veteran presence on the bench.
And as Los Angeles prepares for a one-game showdown against the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament, it will need everyone to be healthy. That hasn’t been the case for a good chunk of the season, but it seems the pieces are slowly assembling for L.A.
