The Los Angeles Lakers will have their first preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a few days. However, they might be without a key player.
Leading up to training camp, one of the injury concerns for the Los Angeles Lakers was about the back of center Brook Lopez. Lopez has had a lingering back issue and has yet to be cleared for contact.
With the preseason starting on Saturday for the Lakers, it appears like they will be without Lopez against the Timberwolves.
This offseason, Lopez was one of the key acquisitions for the Lakers in the trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets. Lopez is one of the best offensive centers in the NBA and could be the Lakers’ leading scorer this season.
With the Nets, Lopez has proven that he is an excellent post player in a league that has gone away from the basket. Last season, Lopez also showed a huge improvement in his game, as he can now shoot 3-pointers with some efficiency. Adding another weapon to his offensive game really makes Lopez a nightmare to guard.
Luke Walton said Brook Lopez still hasn’t been cleared for contact, says he ‘probably’ won’t play in Saturday’s preseason opener.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) September 27, 2017
Considering that Lopez is going to have to get used to his new teammates, the preseason is a perfect time for that. Many can’t wait to see how Lopez and Ball are able to play together, as they figure to be a very deadly pick-and-roll combination.
Unfortunately, it looks like we will have to wait and see when Lopez is able to get on the court. Even though Lopez hasn’t been cleared for contact, he did participate in all other things in training camp so far.
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With Lopez potentially sidelined for the preseason opener, this will give some other players an opportunity to get extra minutes. Ivica Zubac is one of the players that can really benefit from Lopez being out, as he needs to impress after the Lakers added Andrew Bogut just before training camp.
Since Lopez has a lingering back issue, the Lakers are certainly doing the smart thing by keeping him sidelined until he is 100 percent.