Lakers’ Walton Strains Hamstring In Practice

HONOLULU, Oct. 5 (AP) -- Luke Walton and Derek Fisher sustained minor injuries Friday during Lakers' training camp.

Walton strained his right hamstring and is listed as day-to-day. Fisher received a deep, 1-inch gash to the forehead when he took an elbow from center Larry Turner.

Walton sat out the remainder of the workout, while Fisher did not require stitches and returned. Kobe Bryant didn't participate in the final minutes of practice as he iced his left knee.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said injuries during camp are inevitable.

"They're going to happen,'' he said. "Guys are getting in shape and in the process they've got tight muscles and things get stretched, pulled, etc.''

"We think we've got this early enough so we have avoided anything that's a long-term injury, but we'll wait and see.''

Jackson said he's aware some players are more susceptible to injuries than others.

"We do know who the toilet tissue paper players are. We make a note of that. Right now we have a few of them,'' he said.

Two years ago in Honolulu, Walton strained his left hamstring late in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' preseason game with the Golden State Warriors and missed a few weeks of the regular season.

"We're aware that he's sweating a lot - low potassium here in Hawaii. He's got to eat more bananas,'' Jackson said.

In July, the 27-year-old Walton, who has played all of his four NBA seasons with the Lakers, had become an unrestricted free agent and received a six-year deal to remain with the team.

The 6-foot-8 Walton averaged career highs of 11.4 points, five rebounds and 4.3 assists in 60 games last season, all starts. He played 33 minutes a game, led the team in scoring twice, five times in rebounds and 18 times in assists.

The Lakers face the Warriors in two exhibition games next week.

source : NBA.com