clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

LeBron James still being evaluated, D’Angelo Russell unlikely to play on road trip

It is sounding more and more like D’Angelo Russell will return when the Lakers get back from their road trip, while the team is still declining to put a timetable on LeBron James’ return.

New Orleans Pelicans v Los Angeles Lakers Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

The hits just keep coming for the Los Angeles Lakers. After news leaked that LeBron James likely won’t return for at least two weeks, head coach Darvin Ham said it’s unlikely that trade deadline acquisition D’Angelo Russell will play in the team’s next two games.

While speaking with reporters before the Lakers take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, Ham said that Russell would likely miss the team’s Wednesday matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder in addition to the Grizzlies game:

As for James, Ham said he’s still being evaluated, so there is no official timetable for his return from the team just yet:

As for Russell, missing those two games would put him on track to return against his most recent team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, on Friday. That is the timeline that Ramona Shelburne of ESPN predicted on television Tuesday, a report that Ham’s timeline lends further credence to.

For as long as Russell and James are out, the team will be asking for more on-ball creation from Dennis Schröder and Austin Reaves, and obviously running more offense through the post for Anthony Davis. But while there is no one on this roster — and few in the league — who can replicate LeBron’s impact, at least Russell’s eventual return will help the team’s lineups and responsibilities in the meantime flow a bit more coherently, as well as shifting Dennis back into the Sixth Man role he’s generally been more well-suited for.

But for the next two games? It’s Dennis Time, baby. Time to show the Lakers it’s not too late to give you that $82 million, buddy. They need all the weird, speedy little chicanery you can give them.

You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Silver Screen & Roll Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of Los Angeles Lakers news from Silver Screen & Roll