Nick Young Injury: Updates on Lakers Star’s Calf and Return

Los Angeles Lakers swingman Nick Young suffered a right calf strain on Nov. 29 against the New Orleans Pelicans. It is unclear when he will return.

Continue for updates.

Latest on Young's Timeline to Return  Saturday, Dec. 3 Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times reported Young is out of his walking boot.

The Lakers announced on Nov. 30 that Young has a calf strain that will sideline him for two to four weeks.

Young Has Emerged as Important Cog in Lakers Rotation   If Young misses extensive time, it would be a difficult loss for the Lakers' offensive depth.

At his best, he is a high-volume scorer who can stretch defenses with his three-point stroke and attack the rim if opponents press up on him beyond the arc. He averaged 7.3 points per game for Los Angeles last season but scored in double figures in each of the previous five campaigns. He set a career high with 17.9 points per night in his first season with the Lakers in 2013-14.

Young was averaging 14.1 points per game while shooting 41.8 percent from three-point range this season before his injury.



Los Angeles does have a handful of options to cover for the loss of Young. Larry Nance Jr. is a high-upside forward who brings similar length to Young's at 6'9" and the ability to contribute on the glass and as a scorer. He posted 16.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his final collegiate season at Wyoming and 5.5 points and 5.0 boards per night as a rookie in 2015-16.

The Lakers could also use smaller lineups without Young that shift D'Angelo Russell off the ball or use Louis Williams in the backcourt alongside another ball-handling guard like Jordan Clarkson. However, Russell is dealing with a knee injury and hasn't played since Nov. 20. 

The Lakers have enough pieces to survive this setback to Young, but they need all the help they can get to build ...

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