The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Orlando Magic on Friday night at Staples Center.
At 13-25, Orlando is a direct competitor in the NBA Draft lottery chase. At the moment, the Lakers (11-25) possess the fourth worst record in the league, but Orlando is fifth on that list. Tobias Harris leads the Magic with 18.1 points per game, but Nikola Vucevic is close behind with 18.0 points per game.
Along with Harris and Vucevic, the Magic’s third key player is second-year shooting guard Victor Oladipo. Oladipo averaged 13.8 points, 4.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds in his rookie season, and his sophomore season has not shown much different. Oladipo enters Friday's game averaging 14.9 points, 3.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. The 22-year-old has made a dramatic jump in field goal percentage from 41.9 percent his rookie season to 45.9 percent his sophomore season.
On Friday morning, Lakers coach Byron Scott said he was uncertain of his starting lineup with Wesley Johnson out. The coach is likely to stick with Wayne Ellington in the starting five, but Ryan Kelly is an option if the coach decides to go big.
Whether at shooting guard or small forward, Kobe Bryant will start for the Lakers. However, Bryant skipped practice on Thursday and did not come in for shootaround on Friday. Nick Young also sat out Thursday's practice, so his status was listed as "day-to-day" entering Friday.
"[Young] came out and he ran around the court at full speed, and I told him, 'I guess your knee is fine,'" Lakers coach Byron Scott said Friday morning after team shootaround. "So I assume that he's playing."
Although Young could be a potential starter, the Lakers have thus far preferred to keep the eccentric shooting guard as an energetic scorer off the bench.
One certain change for the Lakers will be the return of Ronnie Price to the starting lineup. Price missed Wednesday's blowout loss to the Clippers due to a flu that included a 103-degree fever. Price also received 11 stitches for his broken nose in his last outing, so the 31-year-old expects to wear a mask for protection.
Price played with the Magic a season ago, and the veteran point guard mentored Oladipo in his rookie season.
"Oladipo was my rookie last year," Price said after Thursday's practice. "[Oladipo is] a very good guy and an even better basketball player. He's been playing great this year. I keep in touch with him."
The Lakers and Magic tip off at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
