The Los Angeles Lakers return home against the Phoenix Suns following a road trip that saw them go 0-4 and drop to fifth place in the Western Conference standings. The good news for the Lakers was Luka Doncic was cleared to make his return after sitting out the team’s loss to the Denver Nuggets to end the trip. LeBron James is still sidelined with a groin injury, and Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke about what Doncic’s role entails with James out.
“The marching orders for him don’t change if LeBron is out of the lineup. I think, the way basketball works, at least in my mind, is that people and players and skill sets, they all have to complement each other and work together,” JJ Redick said prior to the team’s game against the Suns. “Everybody has a role and everybody is valued. And if you do that role well, we have a chance to win.”
“Luka has to be Luka … same thing with our guys that are defensive-minded, or shooters, you just got to be you and you hope that there’s enough to fill in the gap when guys are out,” Redick continued. “That sum of that equals a team that has a chance to win a game.”
Luka Doncic isn’t the only player who was set to return to the Lakers’ lineup on Sunday against the Suns. Jaxson Hayes, who missed the entire road trip with a knee injury, was also cleared to play. Hayes has been the team’s starting center since the trade deadline.
