D'Angelo Russell of the Los Angeles Lakers is expected to miss more weeks after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection on his left knee. This means he will not be able to join the rest of the team when they take on the Golden State Warriors.
Russell got sidelined earlier this month due to a recurring soreness in his knee. This caused him to miss out on two of the Lakers' last three games.
Initially, the team thought that Russell's condition was not serious. However, head coach Luke Walton got worried about his player after seeing him limping during practice. This prompted Walton to seek medical help for Russell.
As noted by NBA reporter Mike Trudell, Russell is expected to miss two more weeks after getting the PRP injection. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated next week to see how long he will be out for.
"They tell me they think this is going to help get him back out there, then I'm going with the belief that in two weeks he'll probably be ready to play again," Walton said according to NBA.com.
Russell's absence will certainly have a huge effect on the Lakers offense. Averaging 16 points per game and 4.8 assists, the Lakers will certain need Russell when they take on Walton's former team the Warriors. In his place, the Lakers have appointed Jose Calderon into the starting lineup.
Still, though, Walton is hoping that he will have his best players when they take on Golden State. Aside from Russell, Julius Randle might also not get to play in the upcoming game due to a complication in his hip. But, it is not yet confirmed if he will be ruled out.
"Disappointing because we'll definitely miss that but more as we continue to try to build something and now he's not out there being part of that, he's not learning and building the trust that you're trying to get when players are together for a long time," Walton said.
"He misses a couple of weeks of that, but yeah we'll definitely miss what he's been doing for us so far this year," he added.
