Starting center Deandre Ayton has been upgraded to probable for Friday’s NBA Cup group finale against the Dallas Mavericks, spelling positive news for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ayton suffered a knee injury during last Sunday’s road game against the Utah Jazz, leaving the court in the first half and not returning. Subsequently, there were concerns that Ayton would be sidelined for an extended period, until Lakers head coach JJ Redick revealed that an MRI on his knee came back “clean” and that he was day-to-day with the injury. As such, his return on Friday lines up with Redick’s comments.
In Ayton’s absence, the Lakers comfortably beat the LA Clippers on Tuesday, with Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber and two-way center Drew Timme filling in for him.
Lakers Injury News
While Ayton is most likely to suit up against the Mavericks, Marcus Smart, the Lakers’ best defensive player, is listed as questionable with back spasms.
Smart, who signed a two-year, $11 million contract last offseason, has been a huge difference-maker for the Lakers with his defense and hustle. The Lakers have maintained an excellent defensive rating of 106.7 with Smart on the floor, but have conceded nearly 10 more points when the ex-Boston Celtics star goes to the bench.
Fortunately, the Lakers won’t miss Smart as much against a Mavericks team that lacks a quality dribble-penetrating guard. In Kyrie Irving’s absence, the Mavericks have relied on rookie Cooper Flagg and journeyman Brandon Williams as the primary ball-handlers, and neither player has shown the ability to break down a defense just yet.
What’s at Stake for Lakers?
Having already clinched Group B with a 3-0 record, the Lakers technically have little to gain from Friday’s clash against the Mavericks. However, a win would still count against their overall regular-season record, which improved to 13-4 on Tuesday.
The Lakers can, however, clinch home-court advantage in their NBA Cup quarterfinal with a win over the Mavericks, according to the league office.
As for the Mavericks, the game will be an emotional one, with new franchise star Cooper Flagg going toe-to-toe with ex-franchise star Luka Doncic for the first time. Also, Anthony Davis — the man who was shipped to Dallas in exchange for Doncic — is a game-time decision and could return to the court after a two-week absence.
Jason Kidd is excited to go up against Doncic once again, even though he admittedly misses coaching the Slovenian superstar.
“He’s one of the best scorers in the world, so I don’t know if it’s anything different,” Kidd said of playing against Doncic, via Dwain Price of Mavs.com. “I think you can see he’s confident and he’s playing the game at a very high level… if not the MVP.
“Just understanding, we’ve seen that while he was here in Dallas, and he’s doing it in LA,” Kidd said of his game plan to stop the Doncic-led Lakers.
Doncic is averaging a career-high 35.2 points, to go with 8.8 rebounds and 9.2 assists this season. He is among the top-three candidates to win his first MVP award.
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