The Los Angeles Lakers are popping off as of late. They’ve climbed to the 3rd seed in the Western Conference with a 37-21 record. But it’s not just that; they’ve been the best defense in the league for the past month with a defensive rating of 107.2. Crazy numbers from JJ Redick’s side, and they’ve got two players to thank for it. They are, of course, Luka Doncic and LeBron James, two of the best players in the world.
But now, the Lakers gear up to rematch with the Los Angeles Clippers a day removed from toppling them. And we all saw the way LeBron struggled to get up after getting fouled (yes, we count it as a foul, even if the NBA doesn’t). So, the question on everyone’s mind is the same.
Los Angeles Lakers Injury Report – Will LeBron James play against the Los Angeles Clippers?
Luka Magic and the King have quickly established themselves as one of the best duos in the NBA. They put up a combined 57 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists against the Clippers in their last game. They’ve That is exactly why their presence on the Lakers’ injury report will concern fans.
LeBron James is listed as QUESTIONABLE on the injury report. So is Luka. JJ Redick will likely rest them to manage their respective calf and foot injuries. However, they may end up playing if things get hairy for the Purple and Gold against the Clippers. Two players who will definitely not play in the Clippers rematch are Rui Hachimura and Maxi Kleber.
Lakers’ injury report vs. the Clippers tomorrow:
— Rui Hachimura and Maxi Kleber are out.
— Jordan Goodwin and Austin Reaves are doubtful. pic.twitter.com/JHpTUsRBUY
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) March 2, 2025
We watched Rui Hachimura limp out of the T-Wolves game. Well, he’s suffering from patellar tendinopathy and is OUT of the upcoming game for the Lakers. Maxi Kleber is still OUT recovering from surgery on his foot as we await his Lakers debut. Lakers insider Jovan Buha reports that we could see him before the regular season ends in April.
The pair of Austin Reaves and Jordan Goodwin also have their status listed as DOUBTFUL. But Shams Charania reports that the former’s day-to-day after an MRI revealed that his calf injury isn’t that serious. However, Goodwin’s exact status is unknown, so it’s likely he won’t play this Sunday.
Switching gears, let’s have a quick look at the Clippers’ injury situation. The trio of Cam Christie, Trentyn Flowers, and Jordan Miller are OUT since they’ll play in the G-League. But what’ll worry you Clippers fans more is that Norman Powell finds himself marked as PROBABLE on the injury report. He’s got the same issue as Hachimura, but he’ll probably still show up against the Lakers. Derrick Jones Jr. is the final player on the Clippers’ injury report. He is OUT with a groin strain, and it’s unclear when he’ll be back.
So that’s that when it comes to injuries ahead of this game. Since we know what the situation is on that front, let’s try to predict what lineups both coaches will use in this rematch.
Lakers vs Clippers – Predicted starting lineup and depth chart
The most we see JJ Redick doing is resting LeBron and Luka against the LA Clippers. However, with a relatively close scoreline last time, it doesn’t seem like Redick will want to risk an unnecessary loss. Here’s how we see the Lakers lining up:
POSITION
STARTER
2nd UNIT
3rd UNIT
PG
Luka Doncic (DD)
Gabe Vincent
Austin Reaves (DD)
SG
Austin Reaves (DD)
Dalton Knecht
Gabe Vincent
SF
Dalton Knecht
Dorian Finney-Smith
Jordan Goodwin (DD)
PF
LeBron James (DD)
Jarred Vanderbilt
Dorian Finney-Smith
C
Jaxson Hayes
Dorian Finney-Smith
Trey Jemison III
The Clippers, on the other hand, have most of their starters healthy, Powell aside. And given that they actually led the fourth quarter against the Lakers, it’s not a stretch to say that they’ll probably field a similar lineup. Let’s see what that looks like:
POSITION
STARTER
2nd UNIT
3rd UNIT
PG
James Harden
Kris Dunn
Ben Simmons
SG
Kris Dunn
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Amir Coffey
SF
Amir Coffey
Kawhi Leonard
Bogdan Bogdanovic
PF
Kawhi Leonard
Nicolas Batum
Amir Coffey
C
Ivica Zubac
Ben Simmons
Nicolas Batun
We anticipate James Harden and the Clippers giving the Lakers more problems than they did on Friday. Especially if LeBron and Luka don’t end up playing. Ivica Zubac and his sheer size will give JJ Redick’s side a lot of problems. But knowing Redick, he will also make adjustments to ensure his team’s victory. We know how good he is by now. And that’s why we’re backing the Lakers to make it 6 wins in a row this Sunday.
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