Lakers News: Starting Lineup In Flux For Lakers-Timberwolves Injury Report

Westbrook back, AD out?

Your 0-4 Los Angeles Lakers will get their chance to tack on their first win of the 2022-23 season tonight at the Target Center in Minneapolis, when they face off against the 3-2 Minnesota Timberwolves.

L.A. has previously lost, twice, to Minnesota during the team's 1-5 preseason run. In that first contest, L.A.'s four highest-paid players (in order: Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Patrick Beverley) all sat, so make of that what you will. 

Tonight, Los Angeles is hoping to somewhat right what looks to be a sinking ship. Unfortunately, the team's injury report may have a new addition tonight.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Westbrook, who has been with a sore left hamstring since the preseason, has had his status upgraded to probable. 

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Anthony Davis is now a game-time decision due to the sore lower back that he appeared to re-aggravate on Wednesday in a 110-99 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Most interestingly, Woj notes that Westbrook is now set to serve as a bench player if he is available -- unless Anthony Davis does sit, in which case Brodie would (temporarily) be a starter again. One wonders if the starting lineup head coach Darvin Ham employed Wednesday is what he would prefer to trot out again tonight. Patrick Beverley shifted to the point, Lonnie Walker IV served as the shooting guard, Austin Reaves was brought in as the team's new starting small forward, and James and Davis filled out the frontcourt.

Prior to the beginning of this NBA season, yours truly thought that was the correct way to handle the Westbrook situation: make him the lead ball-handler in a non-LeBron James lineup, which would accentuate his strengths (passing and playing with pace) while de-emphasizing his failings as a cutter. 

Now, however, given the way Westbrook responded to being brought off the bench in the team's preseason finale, and how Westbrook has generally performed for the team (very, very terribly), it may behoove the Lakers to just send the 6'3" ex-All-Star home for good, until he can be moved in a trade.

Thomas Bryant, Dennis Schröder and Cole Swider remain unavailable for L.A. James is listed as probable with left foot soreness. On the Timberwolves side of the equation, forward Kyle "Slow-Mo" Anderson is questionable with back spasms.