As the Lakers prepare for a critical Game 3 showdown on Friday, several injured players are making progress toward a return to action.
Despite tweaking his ankle in the previous win, Jake LaRavia was not on the Lakers’ latest injury report, leaving fans wondering about his status for the upcoming game. After practice today, head coach JJ Redick addressed the concerns and explained why there is no doubt about his availability.
“He’s doing good,” said Redick, via Khobe Price. “I say he has like a very, very low-grade minor, minor, minor ankle sprain. But the MRI was clean, and he’ll be day-to-day.”
LaRavia, 24, just finished his first season as a Laker, and it was a success on multiple fronts. Now, he’s looking to help his team make a run in the playoffs to secure his legacy once and for all. First, however, he’ll have to make sure he stays healthy so he can continue providing his critical spark off the bench.
Ankle injuries can be notoriously tricky, and even the slightest dings can cause bigger complications if not handled properly. That explains why the Lakers have been unwilling to risk their players’ health, and you can bet they will not play LaRavia until he’s fully cleared for action. Of course, his “minor” setback is just one of several ongoing health crises for the organization.
When it comes to the Lakers, everyone is focused on the situation in their backcourt. Earlier this month, both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down with multi-week injuries, leaving the team without its two leading scorers. Ever since, the entire NBA community has been carefully watching their recovery, waiting for any signs of life. Fortunately for them, Austin Reaves is already making steady progress.
With LaRavia, there were some doubts that he’d be available for Game 3, but the scans came back clean, proving that there’s no structural damage in the area. At this point, it’s likely just a matter of pain tolerance that will determine the outcome of this setback, but he has the potential to provide a notable boost for his team.
This season, in 82 games, he averaged 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 45.9% shooting from the field and 32.1% shooting from three. As a versatile athlete and capable two-way player on the wing, he earned JJ Redick’s trust right away and was a reliable contributor for the Lakers all season.
Sadly, his impact in this series has been minimal, despite his team’s 2-0 lead. He finished with six points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in 18 minutes in Game 1, while going scoreless off the bench in Game 2. So far, he just hasn’t really played up to his standards, and that ankle injury surely won’t help him get back on track.
Still, with Reaves and Luka on the mend, things are looking up for the Purple and Gold, and they are working to get back to full strength for the first time in weeks. LaRavia may not have a major role in the events to come, but his good health only makes the Lakers stronger, and they need all the help they can get right now with some steep competition in the West.
