Lakers' Luol Deng: Will play Tuesday vs. Hornets

Deng (back) will start at small forward for Tuesday's game against the Hornets.

Analysis:

Deng sat out practice on Monday with a sore back, but was fully expected to take the court Tuesday, so this is merely a confirmation. He'll remain in the starting lineup at small forward and isn't expected to be on any sort of limitations. Deng has picked up his game a bit during the month of December, posting averages of 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.9 steals across 30.2 minutes over the last 10 outings.