Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle suffered a laceration on Monday while getting in some offseason practice, the team announced on Tuesday. According to the Lakers, Randle required seven stitches after suffering a laceration to his right hand.
Apparently, Randle cut open the webbing between the middle and ring finger on his right hand--ouch. The team said the 21-year-old will be reevaluated in about two weeks, which sounds like this is not a serious injury--only painful.
With the Lakers expected to open training camp in about a month, Randle should have plenty of time to recover from the setback and feature during the NBA's marathon preseason. More than likely, Randle will continue to work on his lower body and conditioning while his hand heals.
Earlier in the summer, the former University of Kentucky Wildcat turned heads with the USA Select Team, as he displayed more shooting range than he had in his first two seasons as a professional. Randle appeared to be growing comfortable with shooting 20-footers and even stepping behind the three-point line for the occasional three-pointer.
Under new Lakers coach Luke Walton, Randle should be encouraged to shoot. As such, the true setback with this injury at this time is that it forces Randle to halt shooting for a couple of weeks. Even that, though, should not be a major hindrance considering Randle's worth ethic and the progress he already displayed earlier in the summer.
