Marcus Smart, Jaxson Hayes upgraded on latest Lakers injury report
The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a tough, 122-108 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, a game in which they were missing five key rotation players due to injury
Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes are officially listed as questionable on the Lakers’ injury report for the first game of their road trip against the Minnesota Timberwolves. A final status update for both players likely won’t come until right before the game. Smart suffered a quad injury during the Lakers’ win against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, while Hayes sustained a knee injury sometime after the team’s season opener.
In the three games Smart has played in his Lakers debut, he’s averaged 7.7 points, 1.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 43.8 percent from the field. Hayes has only appeared in one game so far during which he finished with four points, six rebounds and one assist while shooting 66.7 percent from the field
Getting Smart back gives the Lakers an additional ball-handler to help relieve Austin Reaves of some of the playmaking duties, while Hayes gives the team a key backup behind Deandre Ayton.
Against the Blazers, the Lakers just didn’t have enough depth to keep up. But despite the short-handed loss, Redick was pleased by some of what he saw.
“I took a lot away. Again, our half court defense was excellent, first shot defense was excellent,” Redick said. “For the most part. . .just a highly, competitive spirit and connected group. You can build on that.”
The Lakers begin their mini-road trip with a matchup against the Timberwolves on Wednesday, before concluding the trip against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Browns Unexpected QB ‘Wrinkle’ Could Be Bad News for Shedeur Sanders
Much has been made about the Cleveland Browns quarterback situation and the potential of Shedeur Sanders replacing Dillon Gabriel as the starting quarterback for the 2-6 squad.
However, Ashley Bastock of cleveland.com could see practice squad Bailey Zappe and Deshaun Watson as complicating “wrinkles” in Cleveland’s eternally messy quarterback situation.
The Browns signed Zappe ahead of the season and he’s been on the practice squad. He was active last week as the backup in place of an injured Sanders. Zappe spent time with the Browns last season and started the meaningless season finale.
Watson is recovering from a twice-ruptured Achilles and is on the PUP list. He’s expected to be evaluated during the bye week, and the Browns will have to make a decision on whether or not to open his 21-day window for a return.
“I think there is another wrinkle that could happen. There are two other guys in that room,” Bastock said on 92.3 The Fan. I know no one wants to have the Deshaun Watson conversation but what if we come back from this bye week and they’re talking about opening his practice window? The reality is, they didn’t shut Deshaun Watson down for the entire year.
“Bailey Zappe is there. He’s started a football game for them. Shedeur is the backup quarterback when healthy, but you can never say never with this team and their quarterbacks, especially with two other veteran guys — that’s something to keep in mind, for sure.”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Dealing With Back Injury
As the depth chart is currently constructed, Sanders would be the next logical option for the Browns if Gabriel continues to struggle. Through four starts, Gabriel is 1-3 and has passed for 702 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. What’s been concerning about Gabriel’s play is his lack of playmaking ability, averaging just 4.9 yards per attempt.
An unexpected factor for Sanders was a sudden back injury he suffered ahead of Week 8. He tested it pregame but the Browns decided to hold Sanders out. The fifth-round pick
“He obviously came in Saturday with his back injury. We were hopeful that he’d be able to move around well enough to suit up on Sunday. But, put him through a pre-game warm up, and obviously just didn’t feel like he was ready to play,”
Stefanski also said that his “focus” is not on Sanders starting when the team comes out of the bye week for a Week 10 matchup against the
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Eager to Prove Doubters Wrong
Watson’s stay in Cleveland has been a disaster. Since arriving in 2022 via a blockbuster trade, Watson has a 9-10 record as the starter, passing for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Even when healthy, Watson has not looked nearly as good as the Pro Bowl talent he was with the
The Browns have been forced to navigate the consequences of the trade, which included signing Watson to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Owner Jimmy Haslam called it a “swing and miss,”
However, Watson is still eager to return and prove his doubters wrong.
“Everyone is doubting me — everyone don’t believe in me,”
The odds are stacked against Watson. His performance was already declining before the severe injury that has sidelined him for more than a year. It’s unlikely he’ll factor into the quarterback decision in Cleveland. But never say never, especially with the Browns.
