Lakers’ Rui Hachimura will not travel on upcoming trip
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers’ focus on Sunday night might have been on their rematch against the Memphis Grizzlies after beating them in the first game of a two-game set on Friday.
But an update on the status of one of their starters who wasn’t available against the Grizzlies was provided.
Coach JJ Redick told media members ahead of Sunday’s game that starting forward Rui Hachimura won’t travel for the Lakers’ two-game trip against the New Orleans Pelicans (Tuesday) and San Antonio Spurs (Wednesday).
Hachimura has been sidelined for three games – and will ultimately miss at least five games because of his absence on the upcoming trip – because of right calf soreness.
“He’s gonna stay back and try to get some work in,” Redick said. “Hopefully he’s able to get some work in with [G League affiliate] South Bay [Lakers], potentially, though that hasn’t been decided.”
Hachimura is averaging 12.7 points on 52.1% shooting (44.5% from 3-point range), starting in all 27 games he’s played.
The Lakers are hopeful that reserve guard Gabe Vincent, who has been sidelined for eight games because of a lumbar back strain, will be available for at least one of the games on the trip.
Star guard Austin Reaves remains sidelined with a left calf strain and will also stay back in Southern California while the Lakers are gone for the trip.
STAYING LOCKED IN
Redick admitted on Sunday that it was “probably hyperbole” when he said after Saturday’s practice that he wasn’t the type of player who forgot plays after voicing frustrations about players not running sets properly.
He made clear on Sunday that his frustrations had more to do with the lack of carryover from game to game.
“You’re looking, whether it’s a practice to shootaround, a film session, you look for carryover,” he said. “The most immediate carryover you could have is being able to execute an [after-timeout play].
“If you simplify the offense like we’ve done over the last 10-12 days, and you have, I think seven play calls right now, and you can’t get the right play call, that’s frustrating. But I have empathy towards it. There’s a million things going on through guys’ minds. Anybody that’s played sports knows that you’re not always going to be in the flow state.”
MORANT OUT
The Grizzlies were without star guard Ja Morant on Sunday because of a right calf contusion he suffered in Friday’s game.
Memphis Coach Tuomas Iisalo said Morant was took a knee to the calf in the first matchup against the Lakers, but finished the game.
Morant finished with 16 points and 11 assists on Friday.
“You could see that he was nursing that in the game already,” Iisalo said. “Says a lot about him as a competitor that he was able to complete that game.”
With Morant out, the Grizzlies started Cam Spencer. Memphis was without seven players because of injury.