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Los Angeles Lakers forward Cam Reddish could miss “a few games” due to left knee soreness, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Adrian Wojnarowski.
Reddish exited the Lakers’ 132-125 loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday due to the knee issue. He attempted one shot and grabbed one rebound in his 11 minutes on the floor before leaving.
The 24-year-old is averaging 6.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 33 appearances this season, shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from three.
Following his injury against Utah, head coach Darvin Ham told reporters that Reddish was getting evaluated by Los Angeles’ medical staff and that the team would have a “definitive” plan for him on Monday (per Jovan Buha of The Athletic).
The former lottery pick has seen his minutes fluctuate throughout the course of the season, appearing as a reserve to begin the year before eventually recording 26 starts. He’s been hampered by injuries on several occasions though, missing seven total games prior to his latest knee issue.
Reddish played an important role during the Lakers’ victory over the Indiana Pacers in the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship, scoring nine points and racking up three steals. He also connected on a three-pointer that helped Los Angeles put the game away in the fourth quarter after the Pacers cut the deficit to three points.
However, Reddish’s efficiency has dipped throughout the past few weeks. In his last 11 appearances prior to his injury against the Jazz, he averaged 6.0 points per game while shooting just 34.3 percent from the field.
Ham discussed Reddish’s mindset when speaking to reporters following the Lakers’ Christmas Day loss, imploring the forward to be more decisive with the ball in his hands.
“If they’re trying to play off, Cam’s got to step up shooting with confidence or eat up that space on the drive,” he said, per Buha. “Collapse the defense once he touches the paint and try to find open man.”
Still, Reddish’s defense will be sorely missed as his average of 1.2 steals per game was tied for the second-best mark on the team.
