El Segundo, Calif. — Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Monday that rookie guard Chris Mañon is “very unlikely” to play in any of the team’s remaining preseason games because of a Grade 2 ankle sprain.
Mañon, 23, suffered the injury earlier in camp and has yet to appear in an exhibition contest. The Lakers have three preseason games left, including Tuesday’s matchup with the Phoenix Suns in Las Vegas, where Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart are expected to make their Lakers debuts.
The 6-foot-4 guard signed a two-way contract with Los Angeles in July after a strong Summer League showing with the Golden State Warriors. Against the Lakers in the California Classic opener, he posted eight points, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Over seven Summer League games, Mañon averaged 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks.
Before turning pro, Mañon spent three seasons at Cornell University and one at Vanderbilt, finishing his collegiate career with a 2.0-steal average. He was named First-Team All-Ivy League as a junior. As a senior starter at Vanderbilt, he recorded 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks while shooting 30.4 percent from three-point range.
With the regular season approaching, Los Angeles is also monitoring injuries to Maxi Kleber, Adou Thiero and LeBron James, who is expected to miss the early portion of the schedule. The team plans to proceed cautiously with Mañon; once healthy, he is expected to log minutes with the South Bay Lakers before being considered for the NBA rotation.
Ayton embraces starting center role
While several teammates recover, Deandre Ayton has appeared in each preseason game. “JJ has really put an emphasis on bigs protecting the rim, so I’m trying to be a big part of that,” Ayton said. “I want the league to know I’m the Lakers’ center and the anchor of the defense.”
Source: Lakers Nation
