Can the Lakers capitalize on some key Boston absences?
Your Los Angeles Lakers return home at last following a 3-3 road trip that, had it not been for some unfortunate injury absences, could have easily been a 5-1 jaunt. L.A. will face one of its toughest opponents of the 2022-23 season thus far, its arch rivals, the Boston Celtics.
The league’s latest injury report, however, has revealed that Boston will be missing a few critical players, while just one rotation piece for L.A. is listed as absent, with apologies to Juan Toscano-Anderson.
Los Angeles will be hosting the Celtics without the benefit of reserve forwards Wenyen Gabriel (sprained left shoulder) or the aforementioned Toscano-Anderson (sprained right ankle), though Gabriel seems like a candidate to return to action sooner than JTA. Two-way rookies Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider are with the Lakers’ NBA G League affiliate team, the South Bay Lakers.
The Celtics will of course be without Danilo Gallinari, a key free agent signing who will miss the entire season after tearing his ACL late in the summer. Its starting frontcourt of power forward/center Al Horford (personal reasons) and center Robert Williams III (left knee surgery recovery) is also sidelined. Williams has yet to play at all this season. In his absence, Horford plays at the five, but when Williams and Horford are both available, Horford will move to power forward to accommodate the All-Defensive big man. Boston two-way player JD Davison is away from the team.
The absences of Horford and Williams will most likely necessitate that, uh, Blake Griffin play a lot of minutes on the Celtics’ frontline. Keep in mind, this is not Clippers-era Blake Griffin. It’s this one:
Props to him for trying though.
If Anthony Davis doesn’t clear a 40-point, 10-rebound night, all Lakers fans in attendance at Crypto.com Arena tonight should ask for their money back.
