Lakers Injury Report: Sharpshooting LA Starter A Late Scratch Vs Denver

This will be a tough game for the Lakers.

As the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets come to town on Kobe Bryant's statue night, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports that Los Angeles Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell has been ruled out with a lingering knee injury, leaving LA one preferred starter short.

Max Christie will start in place of D’Angelo Russell (knee soreness) tonight against Denver. Christie’s perimeter defense and rebounding in particular have been impactful of late.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 9, 2024

This is a big blow, as D-Lo is one of the hottest players in basketball. Since the beginning of the calendar year, Russell has been averaging over 20 points a game on highly efficient shooting splits, something that has elevated the Lakers' offense to heights that we haven't seen in the past couple of seasons. 

Without Russell, Trudell reveals that Los Angeles will start shooting guard Max Christie, who is definitely a better defender, but lacks offensive upside. As a result, expect a lot more Austin Reaves and LeBron James initiating plays for the Purple and Gold.