After he missed Friday’s loss to Golden State, the Lakers expect to have starting shooting guard Nick Young back in the lineup against Atlanta on Sunday.
The Lakers lost by 24 while missing three members of their starting five — Young, D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle — against the Warriors. Before the game, Young had X-rays taken of his sprained toe, which came back negative.
Young participated in Saturday’s entire practice, while Julius Randle gave it a go before his hip pointer caused him to “cringe a little bit,” according to head coach Luke Walton.
Walton didn’t rule Randle out for Sunday, but doesn’t want him to return until he is healthy enough to play the explosive style that made his season so successful thus far.
Said Walton: “If he can’t go out and play the way that he plays — which is a dynamic playmaker pushing the ball in transition and doing all those things for us — then it’s more important to just get him more rest and get him closer to getting back to being like that.”
Meanwhile, D’Angelo Russell addressed the media for the first time since receiving a PRP injection on his sore left knee, which has caused him to miss two of Los Angeles’ last three games.
“I can’t really move the way I want, so when I try to fight it or move sharply, plant and stuff like that, it aggravates it,” Russell said.
Russell — who is expected to miss at least two weeks — said that the injury has bothered him on and off since the beginning of the season, but he didn’t think it was serious.
Since being shut down, his rehab has included pool workouts and others to strengthen his core and glutes.
He plans to join the Lakers’ four-game road trip, which begins on Tuesday in New Orleans, but — like Randle — won’t rush his return.
“I definitely don’t want to force anything back,” Russell said. “I feel like I’ve gotta be 100 percent perfect before I step back on the floor.”
Each of the three players has been one of the Lakers’ most important pieces this season. They combine for 43.3 points per game, while Randle leads the team in rebounds (8.1), Russell in assists (4.8) and Young in 3-pointers (2.6).