Recent Los Angeles Lakers news involves small forward Brandon Ingram, who was ruled out for Thursday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Recent Los Angeles Lakers news has revolved around small forward Brandon Ingram. Ingram suffered a groin injury against the Miami Heat on March 1st and the team has patiently waited for his return.
Over the weekend, there was an update that said Ingram was getting closer to a return. He was cleared for non-contact basketball activities, a big step in getting back to playing. Ingram joined the team on the current four-game road trip, which led people to believe he would get on the court sooner than later.
Ingram missed Monday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, but there was some hope that he would return for Thursday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. That hope has now been wiped away.
Recent Lakers news reveals that Ingram has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Pelicans.
Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet revealed that Ingram did not practice on Wednesday, and as a result will not play Thursday. He added that Ingram was feeling sore after ramping up his activity on Tuesday, doing the most he has done since his injury.
Brandon Ingram didn’t practice today, so he’ll be out for tomorrow night’s game in New Orleans. He was a little sore from yesterday’s workout he went through, in which he did the most he’s done since getting hurt, per Luke Walton.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 21, 2018
Given the Lakers current standing, there is no reason to rush Ingram back. If he is not 100 percent healthy, he should remain on the sidelines. While Los Angeles is not mathematically eliminated, they are essentially out of playoffs already.
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Looking ahead at the Lakers’ schedule, it is difficult to see where Ingram could get back on the court. The Lakers play every other day through the remainder of the season with two back-to-back sets. As a result, there isn’t much time for the team to practice.
Ingram will not get back on the court until he can make it through a full, 5-on-5 contact practice. In addition to Ingram, the Lakers are also waiting on Josh Hart to return to the court from his fractured left hand.
With those two sidelined, the Lakers played about as well as they could. They dipped deep into their depth and played well at the start. However, they have begun struggling, as they are currently riding a three-game losing streak.
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Ingram has improved immensely this season from his rookie season. He is averaging 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He has looked more confident all season and is taking the steps forward the Lakers had hoped that he would. Hopefully, we are able to see him on the court again this season, but, they should not rush him back to the court until unless he is ready.