The Lakers’ matchup against the Sixers will have another key rotation player missing with Taurean Prince being ruled out due to ‘personal reasons’.
Coincidentally, this Game and Prince’s absence happen to be on his birthday, his 30th, to be exact.
The Lakers will also be without Colin Castleton (right wrist fracture), Jarred Vanderbilt (right midfoot sprain), Gabe Vincent (left knee surgery), Christian Wood (left knee surgery) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (back disc surgery).
Prince might not be a fan favorite, but he’s certainly a Darvin Ham favorite. Prince averages 28.2 minutes per game, the fifth-highest minute average on the team, so losing a player like that will impact rotations and responsibilities for at least one game.
Over the month of March, Prince has been taken out of the starting lineup and his minutes have dropped to 19.1 per Game. Still, that makes him the team’s most-played bench player and now that time will have to go elsewhere.
With every Game being a ‘must-win’ for the Lakers, any absence will be felt, so Ham will have to make the right adjustments Friday and ensure that Prince’s absence doesn’t become the reason this team drops a Game.
Health has been an issue for the Lakers’ role players all season.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James have been relatively healthy, but Vanderbilt and Vincent are still out. Wood and Hood-Schifino have both recently undergone surgery, likely ending their seasons.
With 13 games left, it’s beginning to look dire if you still hope this squad will be fully healthy this season.
It’s not all bad news on the injury front. The Lakers expect Cam Reddish to play and his name was absent from the injury report, so he should be available.
There is still enough talent on this team to win games and hopefully, Prince will return soon after he addresses his personal reasons for missing Friday’s game.
The Lakers are currently ninth in the Western Conference standings, three Games behind the Sacramento Kings for the eighth spot and just a half-Game in front of the Golden State Warriors.
They’ll be looking to earn a pair of wins this weekend before heading on a six-game road trip.
