Photos reveal that almost all Los Angeles Lakers players are already in the Orlando bubble except for one: veteran forward Markieff Morris. And this has raised questions on his whereabouts or whether or not he'll join the squad in the NBA season restart.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has neither confirmed nor denied if the entire Purple and Gold roster is present in the bubble campus. Before the team's first practice last Saturday, Vogel said, per Harrison Faigen of SB Nation:
“We’re still, because of privacy concerns, not going to disclose the number of guys, or whether or not we have our full staff.”
Markieff Morris is one of the mid-season additions by the Lakers. He inked a deal in February and played eight games before the 2019-20 season was suspended. In 14.8 minutes per game, Morris put up 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds. He shot 38.9 percent from the field. As a veteran with relevant playoff experience under his belt, the Lakers value him as an asset. The hefty forward is expected to match up with the likes of Zion Williamson, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Ben Simmons.
With or without Morris, the Lakers boast one of the deepest rosters in the league. Dion Waiters, another late-season signing, is expected to provide some offense from the bench. While they lost Avery Bradley, they immediately picked up JR Smith — one-time champ and LeBron James' buddy from Cleveland.
Veteran guard Rajon Rondo is expected to miss 6-8 weeks due to a fractured hand. Given the new schedule, he's expected to return sometime in the second round of the playoffs.
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