The Los Angeles Lakers are kicking off their regular season against the Warriors without two of their young prospects, Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero, both officially sidelined with injuries. Head coach JJ Redick confirmed after Tuesday’s final tune-up that both players were held out of practice yet again, a recurring and now official problem heading into the opening night of the regular season. This isn’t just a minor setback, it’s a gut punch for a squad looking to integrate fresh talent early.
Rookie Campaign Jitters
This is a brutal start for these young guns. For Thiero, that left knee has been a real headache early in his pro career. It’s the same knee that kept him out of Summer League as a rookie, even though the MCL sprain that really sidelined him in his first year was actually in his *right* knee. Redick initially tried to play it cool, even calling Thiero’s first missed preseason game “maintenance,” but clearly, this is more than that. Before the injury, Thiero was looking really good in preseason, showing flashes that suggested he could actually grab some rotation minutes right out of the gate. That’s a huge blow to their depth.
Then there’s Carr. Redick said his injury came after taking a hit during preseason play. We don’t know how bad the strain is or how long he’s expected to be out, but it’s a super disappointing way to start his rookie campaign. Carr managed to shine in his limited minutes during the exhibition slate, mostly in garbage time, before suffering that contusion. Both players have been stuck on the sidelines for basically all of preseason, missing games and practices.
Sexton’s Status and the Lakers’ Injury Cloud
It’s not just the rookies, either. Collin Sexton, who didn’t even play in the preseason, is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game. The good news is he’s been “trending in the right direction”,a phrase Lakers fans hear a lot, right?,and he’s been a full participant in practice for the last two days. It sounds like he’s close to getting on the court, but “questionable” for opening night after missing the entire preseason still raises eyebrows.
Typical Lakers fashion, a lack of clarity about these injuries has led to a whole lot of uncertainty about how serious they really are. With the regular season officially here, we’re gonna see those injury reports become the norm. Tuesday night’s game is going to be big, not just for the win, but for finally getting some real clarity on what’s going on with Thiero and Carr.
So, when the Lakers host the Warriors tomorrow night, they’ll be doing it short-handed. It’s opening night, and while Redick initially downplayed some of these issues, the reality is now official: no Carr, no Thiero, and Sexton’s status up in the air. This game won’t just be about the W, but about finally getting some real clarity on what this early injury bug means for their depth moving forward.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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