Lakers News: Analyzing Players Who Must Step Up After Julius Randle Injury

The Los Angeles Lakers were hoping Julius Randle could make an immediate impact after selecting him with the seventh overall pick in the draft. Instead, the talented rookie suffered a serious leg injury in his debut, leaving a major hole in the rotation right away.

Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com noted the forward broke the tibia in his right leg. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter and the team is expected to provide an update on Wednesday. That should prove a clearer outlook about his road to recovery.

The report also included comments from head coach Byron Scott, who's devastated for a player he clearly felt was already on the right track. He said:

"

It is heartbreaking, because I saw him all summer. I saw the work that he was putting in. I saw the progression that he was making, the steps that he was taking to get better. And his first game, he goes down. I don't think anybody in that locker room is happy about the way we played, but we're even more saddened about the fact that we lost one of our young guys.

"

It's likely going to take a collective effort to replace him. Bleacher Report's Will Carroll provided a glimpse at what type of treatment Randle may receive:

Los Angeles added Carlos Boozer during the offseason to bolster its frontcourt. He's still a reliable presence in the post, as his 17 points and seven rebounds in the opener showed. Yet, it's hard to imagine playing him a ton more than the 28 minutes he did on Tuesday night.

Ryan Kelly would normally be expected to step into a larger role but he's dealing with a hamstring injury, per Mark Medina of L.A. Daily News. Although it doesn't sound overly serious, it could take him some time to get back into game shape once he's cleared to return.

So above all else this is really a chance for Ed Davis to take center stage. He's a player who showcased a lot of promise during his time at North Carolina but hasn't been able to take his game to the next level since reaching the NBA.

The 25-year-old forward is already on his third team in five years. He's never averaged more than 10 points over the course of an entire campaign.

He played well in the opener. Davis chipped in 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks, while making five of his seven shots. It should earn him a more extended look in Randle's absence and that type of efficiency is exactly what the Lakers need off the bench.

It's really a golden opportunity for the former Tar Heel. He was seemingly buried on the depth chart when training camp began. Now a couple of injuries have opened the door for him to showcase some much-needed progress.

While Davis is the player most likely to see an uptick in usage, the rest of Randle's expected playing time will be spread around.

Jordan Hill should remain in the starting lineup alongside Boozer. His 20 minutes per game last season set a new career high. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him close to 30 in the short term.

Then there's Robert Sacre. He's got the size and skill set to develop into a solid bench presence. He flashed that type of upside last season in limited duty. Now the question is if he's continued to move forward or leveled off.

For now, the Lakers are focused on the health of Randle and making sure he gets the necessary treatment to begin the comeback process. Among those sending their support is team legend James Worthy, who's been through the rehab before:

Once there's some stability, then the onus becomes trying to fill the void. It should start with Davis and trickle down from there. But the team is probably hoping the silver lining amid a terrible situation is seeing Davis take that desired leap forward.

If it doesn't happen, Kelly will probably assume a majority of the minutes once he's back to full strength. His ability to stretch the floor would seemingly be a good fit alongside Boozer, a fellow Duke product.

All told, the Lakers entered the season with several hurdles on the path to competitiveness. Losing Randle is another big one and it comes just one game into the campaign.