The Los Angeles Lakers will be playing against the Charlotte Hornets tonight. The former has had quite the season so far. The 17-time NBA champions have won only 13 of the 31 games played in the 2022-23 NBA season until now. Jeannie Buss hired a new head coach in Darvin Ham, hoping to bring the glory days back. However, they have been far from it. Qualifying for the playoffs looks like a hard task for the Lakers as well.
On the other hand, the Hornets have also been struggling with their young team. Despite having LaMelo Ball back in action, Michael Jordan’s franchise has not been able to translate that into wins. Melo returned to the court on December 15th, after missing a handful of games due to an ankle injury. He will be looking to put in a shift against the Lakers tonight. With that said, let’s look at the injury reports and expected rosters for both teams.
The Los Angeles Lakers might miss both LeBron James and Anthony Davis against the Charlotte Hornets tonight
It is no secret that LeBron James and Anthony Davis have not been 100% fit this season. LeBron faced a serious issue with his right adductor and AD has had troubles with his right foot. And it looks like that would be the case for AD tonight as well. As for King James, he is probable for the game against the Hornets because of left ankle soreness, according to reports.
Lakers appear set to get Russell Westbrook back after a two-game absence Friday against Charlotte. Russ had one of his better games vs the Hornets last year, scoring 35 points when LeBron and AD were both out. pic.twitter.com/kGkxW19WCa
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 22, 2022
Together with James, Russell Westbrook is also probable, due to soreness in his left foot. It appears so that the Lakers might miss their biggest stars for the game tonight.
Los Angeles Lakers injury report
- LeBron James (probable)
- Russell Westbrook (probable)
- Austin Reaves (questionable)
- Anthony Davis (out)
- Juan Toscano-Anderson (out)
Los Angeles Lakers expected roster
- LeBron James (probable)
- Russell Westbrook (probable)
- Patrick Beverley
- Lonnie Walker IV
- Dennis Schroder
As mentioned earlier, the Hornets welcomed Melo back about a week ago. However, they have had to deal with injuries to some of their other key players, including Terry Rozier.
Charlotte Hornets injury report
- Terry Rozier (questionable)
- Dennis Smith Jr. (out)
- Cody Martin (out)
Charlotte Hornets expected roster
- LaMelo Ball
- Kelly Oubre Jr.
- Mason Plumlee
- PJ Washington
- Gordon Hayward
Can the Lakers beat the Hornets tonight without their starting 5?
The Lakers have won 2 out of their last 5 games and the Hornets have managed to come out on top once on the last five occasions. The recent record of both teams displays how evenly biased we can expect the game to be tonight. In the last game, King James was the standout player for the California-based franchise. He put up 31 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds on the board.
The last time these two franchises faced was in January when the Hornets were victorious as the game ended 117-114. The 4x NBA champion didn’t play in that game as well. With that said, it looks like he might fight through his injury tonight to play for the Lakers.
Considering the fact that the Hornets might miss Rozier as well, the Lakers look to be the favorites even in AD’s absence. However, if James decides to sit out at the end of the day, the Lakers’ chances to take the win will surely decrease. LeBron has been playing this season with a few injuries though, which means we can expect him to show up for the Lakers tonight to help them take the win.