Lakers News: Update On Thumbs Of Dennis Schröder, Thomas Bryant

Could the two sidelined Lakers vets be making their season debuts soon?

A pair of Los Angeles Lakers reserves could be back to help L.A. soon, per Mike Trudell of Lakers.com. Backup point guard Dennis Schröder and bench center Thomas Bryant both underwent surgeries to repair injured ulnar collateral ligaments in their thumbs (Schröder's right, Bryant's left) prior to the start of the 2022-23 NBA season. 

Trudell reports that both players will have their digits examined by team doctors this coming Thursday, November 17th. Should the team decide their recoveries are satisfactory, the team could activate both players in time to make their season debuts against the Detroit Pistons the next day.

Schröder seems likely to cut into the underwhelming minutes of current starting Lakers point guard Patrick Beverley, for whom the Lakers traded with the expectation he could be a 3-and-D resource, though his offense has cratered thus far this year. One wonders if Bryant will make the cut. Under Darvin Ham, the Lakers have looked to play smaller and faster. 

Anthony Davis is once again the team's (reticent) permanent starting center, and springier 6'9" power forward/center Wenyen Gabriel is his primary backup. Damian Jones, the team's other traditional center signed by Rob Pelinka this summer, is barely in the rotation now. Since October 30th, Jones has twice been a healthy scratch for Ham's Lakers, and has played for 2:13 or less three other times.

Schröder, however, seems likely to get a serious look, and should he play like he did at EuroBasket over the summer, he could certainly supplant Beverley in the starting lineup, even though he is not a traditionally feared three-point shooter.

That said, the difference their hypothetical returns make could be somewhat marginal. I hate to rain on this parade, but if you think this duo represents some kind of missing link that could help the 2-10 Lakers climb out of their early rut, think again.

Unless they turn into peak Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal, they're not going to salvage this sinking ship. Short of a Russell Westbrook trade, this Lakers team is missing the playoffs. The iceberg has already hit the Titanic, folks.

Assuming neither player contracts the "non-COVID-19 illness" that four Lakers starters have already been felled with, they do seem likely to return for Los Angeles at some point next weekend.