Search Here

Luke Walton’s woes continue to pile up with Julius Randle once again in the sidelines. The Lakers forward is dealing with pneumonia, something expected to keep him out temporarily. He has been restricted from all activities for the next couple of days though he will have a follow-up exam this Monday (Jan. 30) to shed more light on his actual status.

This is the second time that Julius Randle has been forced to the sidelines. Back in November, he sat out three games due to a hip pointer issue. The illness halts the progress that Randle has been showing, particularly in the low post. In 44 games, Randle has been averaging 13 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, Bleacher Report reported.

The good news is that the Los Angeles Lakers caught a bit of a break with a longer respite. They have been on the spiral as of late with frustrations showing on Walton. Aside from Randle, D’Angelo Russell is also playing injured. The sophomore guard is dealing with a bone bruise, strained calf muscle and sprained MCL which were incurred in the team’s game against the Indiana Pacers.

Both Randle and Russell are questionable this Tuesday when the Lakers face the Denver Nuggets, Lakers Nation reported. Russell could be ready to go against the Nuggets following word that he has rejoined the teammates per NBA.com. Unfortunately, the case doesn’t seem to be the same with Randle, meaning Walton will have to make some adjustments for now.

Tarik Black could be called on again to fill in for Randle as he did against the Utah Jazz. Rookie Brandon Ingram and Luol Deng could be called upon to fill in as well, though that means Walton will have to resort to small-ball play. The Lakers tote a 16-34 win-loss card, barely ahead of the Phoenix Suns. Only a string of wins can ramp up their chances for a playoff seed with 32 games left in the 2016-17 NBA season.