Another Lakers big man has a herniated disk in his back.Forward Jordan Hill, recently labeled one of the most promising players in training camp by Coach Mike Brown, was diagnosed with a herniated disk Monday after being examined by Dr. Robert Watkins Jr.
Hill, who scored 10 points during the Lakers' exhibition loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday in Fresno, will be re-evaluated in a week.
Herniated disks can be tricky things. Lakers center Dwight Howard
was diagnosed with a herniated disk in April and still has not played
in a game six months later, though he is presumably close to a return.
The
Lakers had high expectations for Hill after he emerged late last
season, collecting three double-doubles in a six-game span despite
playing limited minutes off the bench. That's one of the reasons they
gave him a two-year contract for about $7 million.
"Jordan Hill,
he’s showing that, hey, I need to be on the floor," Brown said last week
after one of the Lakers' practice sessions. "He’s the one guy that I
could say besides my starters that right now is showing he really needs
to be on the floor with his activity out there."
Before suffering
his injury, Hill said he was eager to prove he could help a front line
that was considered among the best in the NBA.
"We
have enough scorers, enough All-Stars," Hill said. "We just have to
have that guy to come off the bench with a lot of energy, a lot of
activity who likes to run the floor, protect the paint and use his
athleticism. I just want to go out there and have fun and do what I have
to do."
