After struggling during the Lakers‘ 0-3 start, point guard Russell Westbrook is unlikely to play in the team’s fourth game of the season on Wednesday in Denver. As Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes, Westbrook has been listed as doubtful to play vs. the Nuggets due to a hamstring injury, which he sustained during the team’s preseason finale on October 14.
The injury didn’t stop Westbrook from suiting up for the last three games, but if it’s lingering at all, it makes sense for the Lakers to hold him out for a game or two, not only to ensure he gets 100% healthy but also to give him a respite from the criticism he has faced in the early part of the 2022/23 season.
Here are a few more health-related notes from around the NBA:
- Clippers star Kawhi Leonard experienced some stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee and was held out of the team’s loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, who adds that Leonard has also been ruled out for the rematch between the two teams on Thursday. Head coach Tyronn Lue didn’t classify it as a setback for Leonard. “We want to be cautious, make sure we’re doing the right thing by him, even though he wanted to play,” Lue said. We just thought it wasn’t smart. He can be mad at us if he wants to but just not smart right now.”
- Wizards guard Delon Wright left Tuesday’s game with what head coach Wes Unseld Jr. referred to as hamstring tightness, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Unseld wasn’t sure after the game about the severity of the injury or if it would require Wright to miss any additional time.
- After tearing his ACL in 2019 and his Achilles in 2020, Warriors star Klay Thompson entered this season coming off a healthy summer, but he has still required a ramp-up process and a minutes restriction in the early going as he improves his conditioning, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I’m such a perfectionist, I want to be great right now,” Thompson said. “But I got to realize, man, it’s a long season. I’d rather peak come playoff time rather than early November or into January.”
Best case scenario for the lakers since they can’t trade Westbrook. Fake an injury and move on without him
They should just pay him his 47m and send him home if they’re that adamant about not moving their picks. Addition by subtraction.
Westbrook is suffering now because Ham does give him “freedom”
You just don’t sit him in the bench
Bench Westbrook and Hamstring Westbrook is the same thing to me
Ham needs to solve the mental issue for Westbrook right away
Delons injury looked more like a hyperextension but either way it def looks like he’s gonna miss a few games at least. Bright side is that Kispert should be returning for their next game. I think DC could get 1 of those top6 spots if injuries don’t kill them
Westbrook is West-COOKED. Retire bro!
That Kawhi/George trade is going to look so bad.
The Kawhi Leonard Paul George tandem is legit. If they stay healthy Clippers are monsters in the West come play off time. Even after all that time off, Leonard looked great in the game I saw him last week. Looks Unstoppable out there and is moving well.
Leonard and George are great players no doubt, but there is too much rotations and load management between games and that is not good. Coach should not shuffle them non-stop. Players need games and consistency in their respective roles (fixed minutes/duties/responsibilities) in order to develop/refine their “game”. LAC won’t do much in playoffs if they continue like this.
You know they have been together and being paid since 2019/20. It is now 2022/23. They gave up a ton of assets and salary and have seen zero success due to injury. The trade is horrendous
The Lakers would be 1-2 if Westbrick wouldn’t have kept taking shots at the end of the last game. This clown shouldn’t get a repreieve from the criticism because he’s earned it. His play is garbage. I have zero idea if the injury is legit or not, but whatever the case, the Lakers will at least have half a chance without him.
1-2 !!!
So apparently the NBA doesn’t allow teams to list their players as out or doubtful for “being in their feelings”, so we get the fake “hamstring” injury instead???
Warriors are kind of missing Mike Brown for now, but it’s very early in the season and Warriors wasted valuable training time because of Draymond. W’s can also use 10 minutes of Iggy on the court.
Kerr giving a 2-way player 12 minutes vs a playoff team like Phoenix is so damn disrespectful and its for no reason too, GSW has a full roster of NBA players this year.
The absolute worst thing about GSW reg seasons are that Kerr wont ever stop overusing 2-way players, who proceed to lose the game due to giving them serious minutes in crunch time. Why does he do this? Does he think its some “moneyball” type deal of “finding that diamond in the rough” who just needed more playing time? They arent. Chiozza is bad. I dont understand it at all. 1st rounders sit on the bench so 2-way players get playing time? Bro, why? 2-way players arent real NBA players, they are what baseball fans call “AAAA” guys, Kerr wont stop using them though, no one knows or calls him on it, and GSW will lose hella games if he keeps up this awful habit he has that also disrespects fans who pay huge money to see the GSW not the Santa Cruz Warriors. Grow up, Steve.