Lakers shooting guard Nick Young suffered an injury in his right calf and he must underwent treatment to recover from the strained muscle. He is expected to miss around 2-4 weeks of the game, as Lakers tried to continue playing in the high level.
Young suffered strained right calf muscle in the 88-105 loss over New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, Nov. 29. According to Los Angeles Times, he thought that he tore his Achilles’ tendon, but fortunately he didn’t. The MRI showed that it is just a strained calf muscle, which required him to miss 2-4 weeks of game.
Following news about Young’s absence head coach Luke Walton expressed his regret. Coach Walton said that Young has contributed more than just points but also in defense.
“We’re definitely gonna miss his defense, the energy he brings,” coach Walton said. “The confidence his teammates get when he hits good shots. We’re going to miss a lot.”
Young once said in an interview with ESPN, that he was certain that Lakers will let him go. But as he improved his defensive skills, he emerged as the best perimeter defenders for the Lakers. He also a proes himself to be the reliable scorer as well, so coach Walton decided to put him as starter.
This season, Young has averaged 33.3 points in 25 minutes with 41.8 percent accuracy from three-point range. He is also a solid defender who can play defense with tenacity.
In his absence, Brandon Ingram took his spot as shooting guard against Chicago Bulls in a day after. But Ingram is no match to Bulls’ shooting guard Jimmy Butler who defend fiercely. Ingram shot only 1 out of 9 attempts, finishing with 8 points.
Although the Lakers won 96-90 against Chicago Bulls, but the absence of Young is imminent. Ingram has shown that his presence is needed for the Lakers.
Watch the footage of Young’s injury in the game against New Orleans Pelicans below: