For a Lakers squad that is already relatively short-staffed due to injuries, losing yet another player to a suspension is even more detrimental. Which means Ronnie Price‘s suspension following his flagrant two foul that had him ejected from Wednesday night’s contest in New Orleans.
Ronnie Price suspended one game for his flagrant foul 2 on Austin Rivers last night.
— Bill Oram (@billoram) November 13, 2014
There may be no position where the Lakers could ill afford another player to miss games than point guard. Despite bringing four point guards into training camp, Steve Nash‘s season-ending injury was a precursor to the doomed fate of the Lakers.
With Price now out, Byron Scott expects to play Jeremy Lin extended minutes and Kobe Bryant to take over a fair amount of the ball-handling duties.
Regarding the Ronnie Price suspension: expect extended minutes for Jeremy Lin, who may play a bit less with Kobe and more w/t 2nd unit.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 13, 2014
Byron Scott can stagger Lin and Kobe’s minutes slightly as Kobe can play de facto PG if he wants to, freeing Lin for more time w/subs.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 13, 2014
This also opens up minutes for rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson, who fans have been clamoring to see more action from this season.
The biggest problem is that the Lakers are taking on the San Antonio Spurs, arguably the best team in the league. They can ill-afford to be short-handed. On top of not having Price, they’ll be without Nick Young for a few more games at most and Wayne Ellington for an indefinite time while he returns home following the death of his father.
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