Vincent, Hachimura, Vanderbilt and Hayes to Sit Out Lakers’ Preseason Meeting With Suns
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The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes when they face the Phoenix Suns in Tuesday night’s preseason contest, the team announced.
No specific injuries were listed for the quartet, and the club is expected to have them available Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas. The back-to-back set is an uncommon scheduling wrinkle for the preseason, but Los Angeles is opting to rest several contributors in the first leg.
Additional absences for Tuesday include LeBron James, Maxi Kleber, Chris Mañon and Adou Thiero. Kleber is nearing a return from a quadriceps issue, while the Lakers continue to manage Mañon and Thiero carefully after early-career injuries.
Head coach JJ Redick is set to welcome several regulars back to the floor against Phoenix. Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart are expected to make their first preseason appearances, joining Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht and others. The game will give Redick his clearest look yet at a projected starting unit.
Following the back-to-back, Los Angeles finishes its exhibition schedule Friday versus the Sacramento Kings, offering one final chance to evaluate rotations before Opening Night.
Hachimura Ready for Larger Role Without James
With James sidelined by right-side sciatica to start the regular season, Hachimura said he anticipates taking on more offensive responsibility.
“I just gotta be more aggressive,” Hachimura explained after Sunday’s win over the Golden State Warriors. “With him being out, I can attack the rim more because he likes to post up more, so when that happens I have to be spaced out. So that kind of stuff I can do more when he’s out. It’s just a little different but not much. I just gotta do the same things that I’m supposed to do.”
Source: Lakers Nation
