The Lakers will open their season with plenty of buzz, but not a full deck. When Los Angeles meets Golden State tomorrow at Crypto.com Arena, both sides will be managing injuries, and that means the first Western Conference showdown of the year won’t come with either team at full strength.
For the Lakers, Cameron Carr is out with a right oblique strain and Adou Thiero is sidelined by a left knee effusion. Collin Sexton, meanwhile, is listed as questionable because of a right soleus strain.
The Warriors’ situation is even heavier. Jimmy Butler is still out while recovering from an ACL injury, and he’s joined on the list by Moses Moody, who had left patellar tendon repair, Brandin Podziemski with back soreness, and Kristaps Porzingis. Stephen Curry is probable despite right ankle soreness, while Charles Bassey is questionable with right patellar tendinopathy.
There is at least some good news for Los Angeles: Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are both set to go, with no lingering issues after their playoff injuries back in April. That’s a big deal for a team carrying high expectations into the season and trying to avoid early setbacks.
Carr, 21, is still waiting on his NBA debut, but the Lakers are taking the cautious route after he was hit in preseason. He flashed during Summer League, and the team clearly doesn’t see a reason to rush him back and risk slowing his development.
Thiero’s situation is similar, with knee issues still hanging around. Since both players are expected to be near the back end of the rotation, the Lakers aren’t pressing the issue for one regular-season game.
One notable piece of relief for Los Angeles: Walker Kessler has been cleared to play after jamming his pinkie finger in training camp. He logged only five games last season, so there was some concern when he had another setback, even if it was minor. With Kessler available, Lakers Nation can exhale a bit knowing their defensive anchor will be on the floor.
Golden State is also waiting on Podziemski to get back up to speed after tweaking his back during an open workout. He’s now missed three straight days of practice, so it sounds like he’ll need a little time before he’s truly game-ready. Moody and Butler, though, are much farther off and still months away from returning.
Porzingis is the biggest unknown on either side. The Warriors signed him this summer with the hope that he could hold up physically, but he has been out early with an undisclosed injury. He did issue a statement about his condition, though it didn’t reveal much about what’s wrong or when he might be back.
Even with all the injury noise, there’s still plenty of confidence around both teams heading into the new season. The talent is there.
The experience is there. The discipline is there, too.
But if either club is going to meet those lofty expectations, staying healthy has to be the first priority.
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