The Los Angeles Lakers will once again be without Lonzo Ball and Andrew Bogut, as both were ruled out for the game against the Utah Jazz.
The Los Angeles Lakers picked up their first victory of the preseason Sunday night against the Sacramento Kings. They will look to run their winning streak up to two games Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz.
Once again, the Lakers will be shorthanded when they face off against the Jazz. It was announced earlier this afternoon that point guard Lonzo Ball and center Andrew Bogut will once again sit out.
The Lakers announced the news on their official Twitter account. Ball will be sidelined because of his sprained ankle, while Bogut is out because of a groin strain.
Lonzo Ball (sprained ankle) is out for tomorrow.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 9, 2017
Andrew Bogut (groin strain) is also out. https://t.co/5pBaz9tj2D
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 9, 2017
Ball tweaked his ankle in the third preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on October 4th. He was able to return to the game after injuring the ankle, which was an encouraging sign. However, he has not been able to return to the court since.
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Without Ball, the Lakers offense looked stuck in the sand against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. Ball’s issue is moving laterally on the ankle, so you can be sure the Lakers are going to remain cautious with their new point guard of the future.
Ball was originally listed as questionable because he did not partake in practice Monday. He was at the facility, receiving treatment on his ankle but did not play.
In addition to Ball, Bogut was also originally listed as questionable. His groin strain also held him out of practice Monday, so it is not surprising that he will be out for the game Tuesday night.
Bogut has yet to appear in a game for the Lakers this preseason. He was originally dealing with a visa issue, which sidelined him at the beginning of training camp. Now, he is dealing with a groin injury.
Injuries have derailed Bogut often in recent seasons. He will more than likely still make the Lakers roster, but it would be nice to see him get on the court in some preseason action and in practice to get acclimated to his new teammates.
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When that will happen is anyone’s guess. The Lakers are not going to push Bogut in the preseason, but seeing him on the court before the regular season should be a goal for the team.