The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to get back one of their starting guards when they face off against a team with one of the best starts in the Eastern Conference in the Miami Heat. However, they will still be without a key member of their team once again as well.
Reports from Lakers practice on Thursday included starting guard Avery Bradley telling the assembled media that he intends to play on Friday, while being deemed questionable. But the more concerning report was that Rajon Rondo, who was listed as day-to-day earlier in the week, is now listed as doubtful for Friday as he did non-contact work on the floor, according to Lakers.com’s Mike Trudell and The Athletic’s Brett Dawson.
Rondo was expected to play 4-on-4 full-contact earlier in the week and the Lakers made it sound like he had been progressing. A diagnosis that goes backwards sees to conflict with that very recent prognosis. That’s a little concerning for Rondo and for the Lakers, even though they’ve been thriving without his steady veteran hand in the first seven games of the season.
While the Lakers will likely get Bradley back very soon, Rondo’s calf injury is something worth monitoring for the Lakers long-term.
