LA Lakers Injury Report (Nov 29): Latest status of LeBron James and Anthony Davis' availability
The Los Angeles Lakers (10-8) will be facing the Detroit Pistons (2-15) on Wednesday, November 29. At the time of writing, LeBron James is doubtful for the contest as he is dealing with a left calf contusion. As such, his availability will likely be a game-time decision for Darvin Ham and his medical staff.
Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura remain out with injuries. Anthony Davis and Cam Reddish are both probable to participate against the Pistons.
The Lakers are still waiting to have a fully healthy roster available. They have navigated injuries to some of their better defensive talents since the start of the season, and are still waiting to see what Vincent brings to the rotation over a prolonged period.
Vincent joined the franchise during the summer after helping the Miami Heat make the NBA Finals last season but has made just four appearances thus far.
Despite their injury issues, the Lakers will feel confident about securing a result against the Pistons. Detroit has struggled to make use of their young talent to begin the season, with questions being raised over Monty Williams' ability to develop talent and utilize smart rotations.
As such, Ham's team could find themselves steamrollering their way to their 11th victory of the young NBA season.
Los Angeles Lakers progress to quarter-finals of the in-season tournament
The group stage of the in-season tournament is now complete. The Los Angeles Lakers won their group and will now progress onto the next round, where they will face the Phoenix Suns in the first knockout game.
Winning the in-season tournament isn't as prestigious as lifting the Larry O'Brien trophy. However, a tournament win could boost the overall confidence within the Lakers roster and lead the franchise to become hyper-focused on making their season a memorable one.
Of course, the $500 thousand prize money for each player on the roster will also be a reason why the Lakers will remain competitive during their in-season tournament schedule. The Suns are still navigating their own injury issues, and that could give the Lakers reason to believe they can progress onto the semi-finals.
Still, believing you can do something and making it a reality are two different things. Darvin Ham's team will need to remain focused and take things one game at a time. The Suns are, after all, one of the best teams in the NBA, and boast Kevin Durant on their team.
For now, though, the Lakers will remain focused on beating the Detroit Pistons and continue to take things one game at a time.