Lakers News: Nuggets-Lakers Injury Report, Including New Starter For Sidelined Russell Westbrook

Can L.A.'s new-look backcourt play better than its day 1 backcourt? Probably.

Tonight, your Los Angeles Lakers will face off on the road against yet another formidable foe, the Denver Nuggets, hoping to secure their first victory of the young 2022-23 NBA season.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that, as was expected yesterday, Russell Westbrook will miss the game with that pesky left hamstring injury. The Orange County Register's Kyle Goon seems to corroborate this, saying that the team's injury report remains unchanged since yesterday. The happy side of that is that four of L.A.'s day one starters are available tonight, so LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Lonnie Walker IV, and Patrick Beverley will suit up in the purple and gold. 

Long-term injuries to Thomas Bryant, Dennis Schroder and rookie two-way power forward Cole Swider will keep those Lakers sidelined.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that second-year guard Austin Reaves will serve as Westbrook's replacement in L.A.'s starting lineup. Whether Reaves, a capable defender and above-average passer, will be the team's primary ball handler at the top of the game, or that duty will fall to Patrick Beverley and LeBron James, remains to be seen.

In a fascinating note, Charania revealed that his sources informed him Reaves may stick around as a starter, even with Westbrook back. "This is very much a move that the Lakers could continue, depending on how tonight's game goes, and depending on the rotations with this starting unit and moving forward," Charania said. Whether that means that Westbrook would be relegated to a bench role, another starting guard (i.e. Beverley or Walker) would, or the team would just send Russ home altogether, was not specified by Charania.

At least Los Angeles won't be starting off at such a defensive disadvantage, with the 6'1" Beverley, a point guard who has been starting at the two all year, and 6'4" Walker, a shooting guard who has functioned as the club's starting small forward through three games, joined by the 6'5" Reaves.

On the Denver side, starting small forward Michael Porter Jr., who missed all but 11 contests last season with back injury, will miss his first game of 2022-23 with "lumbar management," Woj adds.