Lakers’ Russell, Huertas, Bass still out vs. Maccabi Haifa

os Angeles Lakers Media Day in El Segundo Monday September 28, 2015. D'Angelo Russell smiles during live TV show. ¬ Photo By Robert Casillas / Daily Breeze

os Angeles Lakers Media Day in El Segundo Monday September 28, 2015. D’Angelo Russell smiles during live TV show. ¬ Photo By Robert Casillas / Daily Breeze

Despite participating in all of Sunday’s morning shootaround, Lakers rookie guard D’Angelo Russell, veteran guard Marcelo Huertas and veteran forward Brandon Bass will all sit out in tonight’s exhibition against Maccabi Haifa at Staples Center amid persisting injuries in the past week.

Russell had participated in both Saturday’s light practice and Sunday’s morning shootaround. But the Lakers did not want Russell to return only if he had fully healed his bruised glute, considering how improportional the ramifications are between playing in an exhibition and ensuring the long-term health of the Lakers’ No. 2 draft pick. Russell left early in the first quarter last Tuesday against Utah after absorbing a hard fall on his glute. He was then held out of Wednesday’s practice as well as Thursday’s exhibition against Toronto in Ontario.

“It’s still not firing at 100% and he still has discomfort when he moves a certain way,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said of Russell after morning shootaround at Staples Center. “It’s better. But it’s not there yet.”

Scott described Huertas as “pretty close” toward returning from a strained right hamstring that has sidelined him for all three of the Lakers’ preseason games. Yet, Scott maintained the Lakers will stay “very cautious” regarding Huertas’ concern because of the sensitive nature regarding hamstring injuries. So much that Scott said he only needs to see the 32-year-old Brazilian guard play one of the Lakers’ five remaining preseason games before assessing whether the Lakers would retain him for the 2015-16 season. Huertas has a one-year deal on a non-guaranteed contract.

“I was impressed in practice and I liked what I saw in practice,” Scott said of Huertas. “We want to get a good look at him. I know he wants to play and we want to see him play. But we also don’t want to risk the fact that if he gets out there too early and hurts it, it will be even worse.”

Because of Russell’s absence for the second consecutive game, Jordan Clarkson will maintain point guard duties while Kobe Bryant slides to small forward. Lakers rookie forward Anthony Brown will start in Nick Young’s place at small forward, while Julius Randle and Roy Hibbert keep their starting spots at power forward and center, respectively.

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