The Los Angeles Lakers might be without two key members of their young core when they play the Denver Nuggets for the second time this preseason. Los Angeles and Denver first met Monday. In that game, point guard Lonzo Ball and forward Brandon Ingram got hurt. Ball sprained his left ankle when he accidentally stepped on Emmanuel Mudiay's foot. Meanwhile, Ingram sustained a head contusion after his and Malik Beasley's heads collided.
Ball and Ingram sat out Tuesday's practice, so it is uncertain at this point if they will see action when the Lakers play the Nuggets again.
In a report by ESPN, head coach Luke Walton said they are ready whether Ball plays or not. The coach did not say anything about Ingram.
ESPN added in its report that Larry Nance Jr. was also out during Los Angeles' practice Tuesday. The 24-year-old Lakers forward is nursing a sprained index finger on his right hand.
Ball and Ingram's preseason
Ball and Ingram have had tough preseason outings so far. In Ball's preseason debut, he only had five points, though he made up for it by recording seven rebounds, eight assists, and two steals. On Monday, the 19-year-old tallied eight points. It was a slight improvement over his first game this preseason, but Ball's night ended early for him as he left in the fourth quarter to get the ankle treated.
Ingram, on the other hand, is not looking like the scorer Magic Johnson envisioned him to be. The former Duke Blue Devils standout just had 10 points in the Lakers' first preseason contest. His offensive game continued to sour when they took on the Nuggets. Ingram failed to reach double-digits against Denver as he finished with nine points.
If Ball and Ingram are out today, they will have three more preseason games to bounce back. The Lakers are also going to take on the Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, and the Los Angeles Clippers ahead of the regular season.
Former Laker set to return
In other Los Angeles Lakers news, Antawn Jamison is rejoining the organization. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical, the Lakers are looking to hire him to a scouting position.
Jamison retired from competition in 2014 and since then has worked as a Lakers analyst for the Time Warner Cable SportsNet.
Jamison had two All-Star Game appearances in his long career. In 2004, with the Dallas Mavericks, he captured the Sixth Man of the Year award. The 41-year-old suited up for the Lakers during the 2012-13 season.
