Lakers backup forward Chris Kaman is expected to sit out when the Lakers host the Sacramento Kings tonight at Staples Center, marking the second consecutive game he’d miss because of back soreness.
Kaman didn’t participate in any of the Lakers’ morning shootaround and has also sat out of Thursday’s practice.
“In practice, he had the ball and somebody hit him from behind,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He took a blow in the back.”
Kaman had also sat out of 10 days during the tail end of training camp because of a stomach virus stemmed from the Lakers’ week-long preseason trip to China.
Kaman has averaged 8.3 points on 49 percent shooting and 5.3 rebounds in 17.3 minutes through 13 games. But he appeared in only five minutes in the Lakers’ win last Sunday over Detroit in what D’Antoni had described as a “casualty” of Jordan Hill’s stellar play. Hill has started at power forward for the past five games, averaging 17 points on 59.6 percent shooting and 11.4 rebounds in 31.2 minutes. Will Kaman have much of a role when he returns?
“Hopefully. We’ll see how everything works out,” D’Antoni said. “But Jordan is obviously eating up the bulk of the minutes.”
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