The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, seen during the Jan. 8, 2016 game against the Thunder at Staples Center, is questionable for Tuesday, Jan. 12, with a strained right Achilles that kept him out of the Jan. 10 game. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News)
The Lakers’ training room has remained crowded.
Kobe Bryant (right Achilles) and D’Angelo Russell (right ankle) are considered game-time decisions when the Lakers (8-31) host the New Orleans Pelicans (11-25) on Tuesday at Staples Center. But Lakers coach Byron Scott expects Julius Randle (bone bruise in right eye) and Brandon Bass (corneal abrasion in right eye) to suit up.
Bryant, Russell and Bass all missed Sunday’s loss against Utah. But injuries to Bryant and Russell were considered the most worrisome for reasons beyond their stature. Bryant missed four games earlier this month because of soreness in his right shoulder. Bryant also needed season-ending surgery on his left Achilles tendon two years ago. Although Russell participated in morning shootaround on Tuesday, the Lakers still want to wait to see how Russell’s right ankle reacts following his pre-game routine
“From both of those guys, they have to say they’re ready,” Scott said before addressing the role of the Lakers’ head athletic trainer. “It has to come from Gary Vitti to me that he thinks those guys are okay to play. That’s basically the protocol right now. You have to listen to them. They know their bodies better than we do. If D’Angelo says, ‘Coach, I’m good to go, that’s the first step.’ Same with [Kobe] If they go to Gary and say, ‘I’m a little sore,’ and Gary says, ‘B, I think you should keep them out,’ we’ll keep them out.”
Scott described Randle as “okay” after completing Tuesday’s morning shootaround. Randle had missed Monday’s practice out of precaution after feeling a bone bruise in his right foot during Sunday’s loss to Utah. Meanwhile, Bass participated both in Monday’s practice and Tuesday’s morning shootaround after missing Sunday’s game against Utah after he was poked in his right eye during Friday’s loss to Oklahoma City.
“He said he can see out of 1 ½ eyes,” Scott joked. “1 ½ eyes is better than one eye, I guess, though it’s not quite good as two.”
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