Collin Sexton is Back for the Lakers, But Only for a Few Minutes

Collin Sexton is officially off the injury report for Friday's game against the Clippers, which is great news until you read the fine print.

According to Underdog NBA, the Lakers guard admitted he will be on a strict minutes restriction thanks to the right calf injury that kept him out of Wednesday's season opener against the Warriors.

"Collin Sexton (calf) said he'll be on a minutes restriction Friday."

A minutes restriction for a guy who plays basketball like he is trying to outrun a swarm of bees is basically a tease. You are getting the full Collin Sexton experience, just heavily rationed.

This cautious approach makes total sense when you look at his medical chart. Sexton has missed over 500 days across 17 different injuries in his career, including a brutal 398-day absence for a torn meniscus back in 2021. Soft-tissue issues like a calf strain are exactly the kind of thing that turns a one-game absence into a two-month headache if a team decides to rush the recovery.

For anyone staring at their fantasy lineup or eyeing a points prop, this is your cue to pivot. Sexton has never met a shot he did not like, but trying to guess how much damage he can do in a 15-minute window is a great way to ruin your Friday night.

The Lakers need his scoring punch, but they need it in April, not October. Expect a very short leash against the Clippers, with his workload slowly ramping up over the next couple of weeks assuming the calf holds together.