The Lakers will be down yet another forward against the Cavs on Saturday as Rui Hachimura is out with a nasal fracture.
The blows keep coming for the Lakers on the injury front as they could be down to bare bones on the wing against the Cavaliers on Saturday. Rui Hachimura was the latest surprise addition to the injury report on Friday as he is listed as out with a nasal fracture.
Cam Reddish, who exited Tuesday’s game against the Jazz with a groin strain, is listed as questionable.
Rui Hachimura is out for the Lakers on Saturday with a nasal fracture. Cam Reddish is questionable pic.twitter.com/TbqXWVh5aW
— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) November 24, 2023
Earlier in the day on Friday, the Lakers announced that Hachimura had undergone a procedure to repair a nasal fracture that occurred during the Mavericks game and would be re-evaluated in one week.
Rui Hachimura underwent a procedure today to repair a nasal fracture that occurred during the Lakers vs. Mavericks game on Nov. 22, per the team. Hachimura will be reevaluated in approximately one week.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) November 24, 2023
Hachimura will be sidelined once again with another injury after missing four games with a concussion earlier this season. Between the stops and starts, he’s had a fairly productive campaign, averaging 11.8 points on 50.5% shooting from the field and 42.9% 3-point shooting.
Unfortunately, the timing of Rui’s injury isn’t great. Missing a week means he’ll likely miss all four games of the upcoming road trip, a blow to the Lakers considering his production this season.
Reddish, meanwhile, could make his return after a very brief absence on Saturday. With him out, Max Christie has stepped into the starting lineup and performed adequately for a second-year player.
The issue for the Lakers will be that, with Rui and Jarred Vanderbilt out along with the potential of Cam Reddish being out, their depth on the wing is dwindling rapidly. Expect big minutes for Taurean Prince, Christie, LeBron James and potentially Christian Wood in Rui’s, and possibly Reddish’s, absence.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.