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Frank Vogel is ‘hopeful’ Lakers will have Dennis Schröder for final two games regular season games

The Lakers have five games left on their regular season schedule.

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Los Angeles Lakers v Washington Wizards Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images

To say the Los Angeles Lakers will be shorthanded when they host the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on Sunday may be an understatement.

In addition to the three players that the Lakers previously ruled out, Jared Dudley, LeBron James and Dennis Schröder, they’ll also be without Kyle Kuzma on Sunday. Kuzma has been Frank Vogel’s choice at small forward in James’ absence. Sunday will mark just the fourth game Kuzma has missed this season.

There’s currently no timeline for Kuzma’s return and the same is true for all of the names on the Lakers’ injury report, but before Sunday’s game, Frank Vogel said he’s optimistic that Schröder will re-join the team before the start of the postseason. Schröder has missed the last four games due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

In the meantime, the Lakers will have to make do with the limited options they have at the point guard position. Alex Caruso, who played through a foot contusion on Friday, will start against the Suns on Sunday.

Talen Horton-Tucker, who’s missed the last two games with a calf strain, will be a game-time decision.

Neither Caruso or Horton-Tucker provide what Schröder provides as a playmaker and a scorer, but they’re both more viable options at point guard than the other guards on the roster like Ben McLemore, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wesley Matthews. They also give the Lakers more bodies to throw at the All-Star tandem of Chris Paul and Devin Booker.

The Lakers and Suns will tip-off at 7 p.m, and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.

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