The wait continues.
Lakers guard Steve Nash will miss his seventh consecutive games tonight against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center because of persisting soreness in his right hamstring. Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said Nash “feels a little better” and remains “hopeful” he will play in the Lakers’ season-finale Wednesday against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center.
To accomodate Nash’s absence and Kobe Bryant’s season-ending injury because of a torn left Achilles’ tendon that required surgery, D’Antoni has also shuffled the starting lineup. In addition to Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks manning the backcourt, Metta World Peace will start at small forward in place of Earl Clark.
D’Antoni had planned to start World Peace, but he came off the bench the last three games because of limitations surrounding his surgically repaired left knee.
“He say it feels good,” D’Antoni said. “It’s a little bit of everything. He’s ready to start again. We need some game-time experience. We’ll be ready.”
There’s more.
D’Antoni said he will “probably” grant minutes to seldom-used guards Chris Duhon and Darius Morris. D’Antoni also said he and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak are “combing everything” about adding a player to their roster, possibly former Lakers guard Andrew Goudelock.
The Lakers waived him during training camp this season, but he earned a spot in the rotation last season because of his outside shooting. Goudelock averaged 4.4 points on a 37.3 percent mark from three-point range in his rookie season last year with the Lakers. Goudelock has ranked 14th overall in scoring the NBA’s Development League, averaging a combined 21.1 points per game in two different stints with the RGV Vipers and the Siox Falls Skyforce.
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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@dailynews.com