Will Jarred Vanderbilt Return? Will Jamal Murray Be Available? Lakers-Nuggets Game 5 Preview!

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

Playoff series often hinge on the fairly random prospect of who is available and who is not when the games need to be played. You can be the second best team in the East, but if Giannis and Dame are injured, you might just lose in the first round to Indiana. The Lakers, while they've enjoyed a good run of health from Anthony Davis and LeBron James (and this is the most important thing, obviously) they've been unable to really play big in ways that would benefit them against the Nuggets because of injuries.

Now Christian Wood is back, having returned for Game 3. And Jarred Vanderbilt has been upgraded from out to questionable for tonight's Game 5 in Denver.

Wood didn't play in Game 4. He might not play in Game 5. But if Vanderbilt is available, even acknowledging that he likely won't be fully healthy and certainly won't have his full level of fitness, would Darvin Ham put him in the game?

Probably, and with good cause. We explain.

Meanwhile, Nuggets star Jamal Murray is going the other way for Denver, having been downgraded to questionable for the game with a calf injury. This situation provides a legitimately tricky set of options for Denver. Play him, and there's a better chance of eliminating the Lakers tonight and getting Murray (and everyone else) rest. (The Nuggets would start the second round next weekend.) Sit him, and while Denver could still undoubtedly win (and would likely still be favored, with the game in Denver) it would significantly increase LA's chances of forcing a Game 6. That would be dangerous, but it would also give Murray until Thursday to feel better.

Finally, while the Lakers did get a little bit of weight off their shoulders by winning Game 4 and putting the losing streak against Denver to bed, they still have a looooooooong road ahead of them before they'd be in position to actually win the series. How do you play the mental games required to not get overwhelmed by the long odds at hand?

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: What would losing Jamal Murray mean for Denver? What would be the smart play?

SEGMENT 2: The Lakers might welcome back Vanderbilt. Should Darvin play him?

SEGMENT 3: The mental gymnastics the Lakers have to execute in order to give themselves the best chance at pulling off the miracle.

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