Lakers head coach JJ Redick just dropped some critical injury updates on Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton this past Saturday, with the news for Kessler looking pretty optimistic, but Sexton’s situation potentially getting dicey for the regular season opener. After a preseason week that had its share of excitement, the biggest questions are definitely shifting to who will actually be on the floor when games truly count.
Kessler’s Finger Injury Looks Fairly Optimistic
Let’s start with the big man, Walker Kessler, who hasn’t even suited up this preseason. He jammed his finger way back in the first week of training camp, which is never fun. But listen, the news around Kessler’s injury has been pretty encouraging this week. We even saw him talk about the injury during Thursday’s game, and Redick himself was expecting Kessler to play at some point in the preseason.
Now, Redick isn’t fully committing to Tuesday’s game against the Warriors being the big debut. He literally said “we’ll see” when asked if Kessler would take the floor. Kessler was out there in practice on Saturday, which is awesome, but he didn’t jump into any live action. The good news? Redick hinted that Kessler might even be back to scrimmaging as soon as tomorrow. That’s a huge step, and it definitely points to him being ready to roll soon.
Sexton’s Lower Leg Is A Real Concern
Meanwhile, the vibe around Collin Sexton isn’t quite as sunny. He hasn’t played in preseason either, and the updates haven’t been as optimistic as Kessler’s. While Coach Redick is trying to keep things calm, maintaining there’s no worry about Sexton being available for the start of the regular season, Sexton still isn’t a full participant in practice.
When pressed for details, Redick revealed Sexton is dealing with a “lower leg injury.” And here’s the kicker, Redick straight up said Sexton is “a little bit further behind” Kessler in his recovery. That’s not what you want to hear this close to the season kicking off. How things progress with Sexton this week is absolutely critical. If we keep hearing about him being a modified participant and not actually playing, then the concern about his availability for the regular season opener is gonna keep growing, and rightfully so.
Oh, and a quick update on Ziaire Williams: he didn’t play in the last two games of the week after getting hit and picking up a foot contusion. Redick says it’s not a concern, for whatever that’s worth. Also, Arthur Kaluma is back at practice, which is good.
So, all eyes are on that Tuesday game against the Warriors to see if Kessler makes his debut. But honestly, the bigger story this week is going to be Sexton. Can he get fully cleared? Will we see him participate in live action? His regular season opener status is absolutely on the line, and we’re all gonna be holding our breath waiting for more news.
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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