Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell out at least 2 weeks with knee injury

D’Angelo Russell has missed two of the Lakers’ last three games and was already ruled out for their game against the Warriors tonight.

He won’t be back soon.

Lakers release:

Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell received a PRP injection in his left knee today, it was announced by the team. The procedure was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Steve Yoon. Russell is expected to be out a minimum of two weeks, and will be re-evaluated in one week.

That timeline would sideline Russell at least eight games. With the Lakers 8-7 and in the thick of the playoff race, that absence matters far more than expected.

The Lakers have turned to Jose Calderon without Russell – with dismal results. The main starters – Russell, Nick Yong, Luol Deng, Julius Randle and Timofey Mozgov – have scored 112.1 points per 100 possessions (which would rank second in the NBA). Swap Calderon for Russell, and that offensive rating plummets to 86.2 (which would be a distant last in the league). The defense remains similar.

To be fair, that Calderon lineup has played just 36 minutes. Will its performance improve over a larger sample and as Calderon develops chemistry with the other starters?

The Lakers have no choice but to find out.