Lakers Injury Report: Uncertainty Around LeBron James Prolongs Amid Speculations Around Spencer Dinwiddie’s Debut

The trade deadline inadvertently resulted in a homecoming for 10-year veteran Spencer Dinwiddie. The Los Angeles Lakers acquired the LA native via the buyout market after he was traded from Brooklyn to Toronto and subsequently waived. Tonight marks the fulfillment of his long-cherished dream, as he’s poised to make his debut in the iconic purple and gold colors as the Lakers prepare to face off against the Detroit Pistons at the Crypto.com Arena.

He couldn’t have asked for a better day to debut since, ironically, the Pistons are also the team that drafted him and eventually traded him two years later. As Dinwiddie mentioned earlier, it is personal to him every time he’s up against the Pistons.

While Dinwiddie is set to make his debut tonight, the Lakers might miss the services of their stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. James continues to deal with his left ankle peroneal tendinopathy, while Davis is battling bilateral Achilles soreness and a left hip spasm. While they have been listed as questionable for the game, they are expected to play through their injuries, as has been the case for most of the season.

However, Gabe Vincent (left knee surgery), Max Christie (right ankle sprain), Cam Reddish (right ankle sprain), and Jarred Vanderbilt (right foot soreness) are all ruled out for Tuesday’s game versus the Pistons. As per recent updates, Christie, Reddish, Vanderbilt, and Vincent will be evaluated after the All-Star break.

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As for the Pistons, they’ll be without Isaiah Stewart (left ankle sprain) and Quentin Grimes (right knee sprain). In addition, Evan Fournier and Malachi Flynn will not be available due to pending trades.

Lakers vs. Pistons: Predicted starting lineups

This will be the second time the two teams will face each other, with the Lakers handing them a 133-107 thumping on the road the first time they met. Although the Lakers enter the contest as heavy favorites to win, the Pistons might pull off a surprise victory.

They have been playing much better recently and are coming off a six-point loss (112-106) to one of the most offensively charged teams in the league, limiting Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Paul George to just 71 points. Even though it was a loss, it is huge for the Eastern Conference bottom feeders to have such a competitive performance against a powerful star-studded team. The Pistons are expected to open the game with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Simone Fontecchio, and Jalen Duren.

The Lakers, on the other hand, will look to cap off their three-game home stand with a win. The Pistons are playing historically bad this season, with a bottom-five offense and defense. If the Pistons somehow manage to even the season series record, then the Lakers will have a lot to reflect on. The Lakers are expected to start the game with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura.

Can the Pistons right their ship and improve their record to 9-44? Or will the outcome be the same as their last meeting? Let us know what you think!

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