Lakers coming out of All-Star break with healthy roster, high hopes

The Lakers are coming out of the All-Star break with a healthier roster compared with how they entered it.

Coach JJ Redick told reporters after Thursday’s practice, their first after the break, that the Lakers will have everyone available for Friday’s home game against the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.

If everyone is available for the active game-day roster against the Clippers, it’ll be the first time that’s happened this season.

“There’s only so much you can control,” Redick said. “As a coach, you have zero control in that. As a player, what you do to prepare, and what you do to recover, can give you some level of control, but ultimately, the basketball gods in the game are going to dictate health. It’s just the situation we’re in. Not the only team that has had a bunch of health issues throughout the season and had to manage that. 

“My messaging (Thursday) morning to the players was this is going to be a sprint, these last 28 games. It’s another segment of the season where, starting (Friday), we won’t have more than a day between games until the end of March,” Redick said.

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“So we’ve got an opportunity to play our best basketball after the All-Star break. We’ve got a number of indicators on both sides of the ball that we’re doing some things that are trending in the right direction. And I think it’s coming at a good time, as we’re getting fully healthy.”

Luka Doncic, who said he felt good after Thursday’s practice, is expected to be available against the Clippers after missing the previous 4 ½ games because of a strained left hamstring he suffered during the first half of the Feb. 5 win over the 76ers.

Doncic played just five minutes in the first of two All-Star Games that Team World participated in Sunday.

Fellow star guard Austin Reaves will no longer be on a playing-time restriction after being held to 21-29 minutes in the five games he played in after returning from a 19-game absence because of a strained left calf. 

Friday is expected to be the first time since Feb. 5 that the Lakers will have Doncic, Reaves and LeBron James available for the same game.

“It feels great,” Reaves said. “We still have some time to get on-court reps with our full group. And that’s exciting. (Thursday) was a good first step (for) these 28 games, so very excited.”

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