Lakers' JJ Redick gives encouraging Deandre Ayton injury update originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Deandre Ayton has been just what the doctor ordered for the Los Angeles Lakers and then some.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Lakers signed the Arizona product in free agency to give Luka Doncic an above-average pick-and-roll partner and starting-caliber center.
So far, Ayton has delivered the goods in the low post, averaging 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game on 69.6% field goal shooting as a talented low-post bruiser.
However, Ayton suffered an unlucky knee injury against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, forcing him to exit the contest after only logging 13 minutes.
While Ayton missed the Lakers' Tuesday night NBA Cup contest against the Los Angeles Clippers due to a lower-body setback, JJ Redick shared a positive update about the former Portland Trail Blazers center’s status.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Lakers coach JJ Redick said Deandre Ayton had an MRI that showed some swelling and a little bit of a bruise,” Spectrum SportsNet’s Mark Medina reported Tuesday. “But Redick expects Ayton back sometime in the next week.”
To Jaxson Hayes' credit, the Texas product was impactful in Ayton’s absence against the Clippers. Hayes finished with eight points and four rebounds while shooting 75% from the field, helping the Lakers earn a hard-fought 17-point victory.
Still, Ayton is the center Los Angeles needs most for it to advance further than the first round in this year's postseason, making it pivotal for him to get healthy as soon as possible.
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