Los Angeles Lakers’ rookie forward Maxwell Lewis, who has been dealing with a non-COVID-19 illness recently, is showing signs of improvement, according to a report by Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
Lewis, acquired by the Lakers after being selected 40th overall out of Pepperdine in the draft, has struggled to find a consistent spot in Coach Darvin Ham’s rotation for the .500 Lakers this season.
In his 15 appearances, he has mostly seen limited minutes, averaging just 4.1 minutes per game.
However, Lewis has generated some excitement playing for the Lakers’ NBA G League affiliate in El Segundo, the South Bay Lakers.
In 11 games with South Bay this season, the 6’7″ small forward has posted impressive numbers, averaging 13.5 points on shooting splits of .432/.349/.875, along with 4.5 rebounds, 0.8 blocks, 0.8 steals, and 0.7 assists per game. At just 21 years old, Lewis possesses promising size for his position, although he is still refining his skills.
On a less positive note for the Lakers, two other players with more significant injuries will remain sidelined in the upcoming matchup against the Golden State Warriors.
Starting small forward Cam Reddish is expected to miss the next two weeks of action due to a sprained right ankle.
Additionally, backup point guard Gabe Vincent continues his recovery from left knee effusion surgery.
The Lakers will also have to monitor the availability of their All-Stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who are both listed as questionable for the upcoming game.