Lakers Could Be Without Russell Westbrook for Opener vs. Warriors

The Los Angeles Lakers may kick off their season without their starting point guard Russell Westbrook. According to Lakers reporter Jovan Buha of The Athletic, head coach Darvin Ham said his guard is still day-to-day and will be a game-time decision for Tuesday’s meeting with the Golden State Warriors.

Ham says Russell Westbrook (hamstring) is day-to-day and will likely be a game-time decision tomorrow.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 17, 2022

Hamstrings can be tricky, so the very seasoned Lakers may want to proceed with caution with the former Houston Rocket. Westbrook turns 34 next month, and along with core pieces LeBron James (37) and the oft-injured Anthony Davis (29), LA is definitely on the older side. If they look to remain healthy for a playoff run, days off may become commonplace for all three players.

Westbrook had one of the worst seasons of his NBA career last year. The former fourth-overall pick put up his lowest PPG (18.5) numbers since 2009-10. He shot 44 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from three-point land. Westbrook also had nearly four turnovers a night.

FanDuel Sportsbook has the Lakers as +6-point road dogs with a moneyline of +210 when they visit Golden State on Tuesday night.