Dennis Schröder was a late scratch for the confrontation between the Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night due to NBA health and safety protocols COVID-19, and the team preemptively declared him out of Saturday’s confrontation with the Miami Heat under the same vague designation. Kyle Kuzma (back strain) and Markieff Morris (sprained right ankle) were also included in the injury report, although both are likely.
Anthony Davis (right calf strain and Achilles tendinosis) is still out, as expected, and LeBron James is again likely with the same left ankle sprain he has faced since the second game of the season. Bidirectional player Kostas Antetokounmpo (patellar tendonitis of the right knee) was also promoted from the outside to likely, a change from the past few weeks.
Schröder being declared out means that the Lakers had at least a little more clarity about their situation than they did shortly after Friday’s training, when coach Frank Vogel said he was still not sure how long his starting point guard would be out. .
“It is still uncertain how the schedule will be. For now, all I can say is that, due to the health and safety protocols, he is still out. He was not here in training today and there is no schedule, ”said Vogel.
Pressed if there was a chance for Schröder to play against the Heat, Vogel doubled.
“There is no schedule. This is still uncertain, ”said Vogel.
Now we know that the answer is “no”, but not much more, as it is not yet known what caused Schröder to be retained. His fellow guard, Alex Caruso, lost four games earlier this year for contact tracking, although he never tested positive for the coronavirus, while Lakers coach Nina Hsieh lost a few hours in his own absence, so these Deadlines can vary widely depending on the judgment of the league’s medical team.
If Schröder had tested positive, it seems likely that at least some teammates or other team members would be out for contact tracking, but this assumption does not necessarily prevent you from The) a positive test or B) test positive later because of the opacity of the league’s protocols, so it’s hard to even offer any kind of estimate of when he can play again, especially if Vogel is saying he has no idea. The league protects the medical privacy of its players, but results in many uncertainties for outsiders.
So stay tuned, but the Lakers will be without their starting point guard for at least one more game and may lose some other players too if their injuries get worse overnight or if the team decides to play safely.
The Lakers and Heat will be informed on Saturday at 5:30 pm Pacific time at the Staples Center. The game will be broadcast exclusively on ABC.
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