The Los Angeles Lakers will be hosting the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto Arena this Friday. Having just lost to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, 128-110, the Lakers will most probably be looking to dominate the 15th-place Spurs. But unfortunately for the Lakers, LeBron James won’t be completely healthy before Friday night’s matchup.
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Being the cornerstone of the Lakers team, winning without James has proven difficult for the Lakers going 4-4 without him this season. As of today, he has sat out the last two games due to a reported ‘left ankle soreness’.
Though it’s still not clear as to how and when the injury happened, the Lakers medical staff are taking all precautions. LBJ even played limited minutes in Sunday’s All-Star game in Indianapolis, putting up 8 points in 15 minutes. James would later return to the bench, sitting out most of the second half of the game.
After the game against the Warriors. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham was enquired about LeBron’s availability against the Spurs. Talking about the same, Coach Ham said,
” We’ll get an official word (Friday) morning and see, but in all likelihood, he should be out there (Friday night). “
Darvin Ham says LeBron James “in all likelihood” will be back tomorrow vs. San Antonio.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 23, 2024
Despite his age, James has been mostly available for the Lakers throughout the season. Having just turned 39, the King has shown amazing consistency with the team, playing upwards of 49 games this season. But even though LeBron is still going, his production on the floor has surely taken a hit. The King is currently averaging 24.8 points, 7.8 assists, and 7.2 rebounds on 34 minutes of play.
The Los Angeles Lakers need more than LeBron and Davis
The Los Angeles Lakers need to turn up the heat if they dream of making the playoffs this season. With less than 30 games left in the season, the Lakers are currently sitting in the 9th spot, with a record of 30-27.
After winning the Bubble Championship back in 2021, James and the gang have been relatively ‘average’. Many have pointed to the fact that Anthony Davis needs to remain healthy and ‘step up’ if the Lakers wish to win any silverware.
But with Davis having played 52 games this season, the rhetoric of Davis needing to ‘step up’ has proven to be mostly ‘untrue’. Both James and Davis have been showing out this season, but the Lakers have struggled regardless. If the Lakers hope to make a deep run, the role players on the team need to step up. Having recently signed Spencer Dinwiddie, the Lakers roster is looking more complete, as the final phase of the regular season is slowly approaching.
