Lakers News: Analyzing Players Who Must Step Up After Julius Randle Injury

The Los Angeles Lakers were hoping Julius Randle could make an immediate impact after selecting him with the seventh overall pick in the draft. Instead, the talented rookie suffered a serious leg injury in his debut, leaving a major hole in the rotation right away.

Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com noted the forward broke the tibia in his right leg. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter and the team is expected to provide an update on Wednesday. That should prove a clearer outlook about his road to recovery.

The report also included comments from head coach Byron Scott, who's devastated for a player he clearly felt was already on the right track. He said:

It is heartbreaking, because I saw him all summer. I saw the work that he was putting in. I saw the progression that he was making, the steps that he was taking to get better. And his first game, he goes down. I don't think anybody in that locker room is happy about the way we played, but we're even more saddened about the fact that we lost one of our young guys.



It's likely going to take a collective effort to replace him. Bleacher Report's Will Carroll provided a glimpse at what type of treatment Randle may receive:



Los Angeles added Carlos Boozer during the offseason to bolster its frontcourt. He's still a reliable presence in the post, as his 17 points and seven rebounds in the opener showed. Yet, it's hard to imagine playing him a ton more than the 28 minutes he did on Tuesday night.

Ryan Kelly would normally be expected to step into a larger role but he's dealing with a hamstring injury, per Mark Medina of L.A. Daily News. Although it doesn't sound overly serious, it could take him some time to get back into game shape once he's cleared to return.

So above all else this is really a chance for Ed Davis to take center stage. He's a player who showcased a lot of promise during his time at North Carolina bu...

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