For the first time in nearly two weeks, the Lakers had all 19 members of their roster available for practice. Every player participated in Thursday’s session except for Kobe Bryant, who is nursing a left lower-leg contusion that took him out of Tuesday’s exhibition in Las Vegas.
Despite head coach Byron Scott's optimism, Bryant is listed as doubtful for the Lakers' preseason tilt with Golden State on Saturday.
“(He has) a little swelling there,” Scott said. “Nothing real serious, but we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Marcelo Huertas — who has missed all five of LA’s preseason contests thus far — practiced for the first time since straining his right hamstring at training camp in Honolulu on Oct. 3.
The Brazilian did not participate in Thursday’s scrimmaging session, and is questionable for Saturday's matchup in San Diego.
“He looked pretty good,” Scott said. “He went up and down the floor, but we didn’t want to take him to the point of fatigue on the hamstrings, so we took him about three-quarters of practice today. We’ll see if we can take him a little bit farther along tomorrow.”
Team Sends Thoughts to Odom
The Lakers had one of their own, Lamar Odom, in their thoughts Thursday, as the two-time champion was hospitalized in Nevada two days ago.
Odom, who played for the Lakers from 2004 through 2011, grew up in New York with Metta World Peace. The pair played two seasons together for LA and also were on the same youth team when they were 13 years old.
“It’s really not about me right now,” World Peace said. “It’s all about Lamar and his kids. That’s it. Nothing else.”
Bryant played with Odom during the latter's entire tenure with the Lakers and visited the former Sixth Man of the Year in the hospital after LA’s preseason game in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Nick Young was never on the same team as Odom, but the two did live in the same apartment complex during the 2012-13 season when Young was a Laker while Odom played for the Clippers.
“We’re all praying for him,” Young said. “We’ve all got his back. And that’s the main thing: to be there for somebody when they’re down and not to drift off. To stay in the moment, stay with him.”