Lakers News: Kendrick Nunn Injury Update
The Lakers are besieged by injuries and we're (checks notes) exactly one game into the NBA season.
Bone bruises tend to linger with time and are unpredictable in how they heal, so the 'two to three weeks' timetable could be just an approximation.
Kendrick Nunn was going to be a huge piece early on for the Lakers. A 36% outside shooter, Nunn is a basket. Just like Uncle Drew said, "he gets buckets." He is a quick guard adept at penetrating the paint or draining threes. In his place, Malik Monk is going to play big minutes, as well as Kent Bazemore. Rajon Rondo (who originally was not going to see many minutes at all) may have to suit up for big minutes as well. The day before opening tip-off, the Lakers also signed Avery Bradley.
Incredibly, Bradley saw huge minutes opening night and played well in the 4th quarter, hitting a few open looks and playing the clamp-down defense that he is known for.
The mystery name over who could get those minutes as well is HBK, Austin Reaves. 'Hillbilly Kobe' showed himself to be good on the floor in the preseason. He played with frenetic defense and could handle the ball well.
In the Lakers loss to the Warriors, the combination of Westbrook and Rondo did not yield the best results, so the Lakers are going to need big minutes from their other depth guards.
There is a bit of irony here, as the youngest members of the Lakers seem to be the ones missing the most time with injuries (outside of Trevor Ariza.)