Lakers Injury Report: Key Role Player Returning to Lineup Against Utah

L.A. will be getting a big reinforcement against the Jazz.

Your 19-20 Los Angeles Lakers will be getting a big reinforcement against the 20-20 Utah Jazz on Saturday evening. Forward Rui Hachimura will be returning to the lineup after missing the last five games dealing with a calf injury. 

As Khobi Price of The Orange County Register notes, the 6'8" Gonzaga product was not listed on the initial injury report for the game, signaling his return. 

Getting Hachimura back into the mix will be huge for the Lakers, as he provides them with length, shooting, and more depth. They have dealt with multiple injuries this season, and it has seen players be in and out of the lineup.

The team has struggled to find any sort of consistency this year due to it, and it has hurt them in the standings. Hachimura gives them another guy off the bench, who can shoot efficiently and score the ball. 

On the year, he is averaging 11.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. He is shooting 36.8 percent from beyond the three-point line as well, which has helped his game continue to improve.

Having Hachimura back in the mix should allow the Lakers more depth against a solid Jazz team. Utah loves to run up and down the floor, so they will need to find ways to get back in transition.

They can't afford to give up easy points to this Utah team at home, otherwise, the crowd will bury them. Utah feeds off its rowdy crowd, and it can be intimidating for opposing teams at times. 

The key for the Lakers will be to start the game off fast and settle into a groove. They've had an issue with slow starts, and they can't let that happen against an energetic Jazz team.

The hope is that the Lakers can grab this crucial game, and get back into the win column. They have been reeling of late, so this would be a big win if they can take advantage of having Hachimura back.