The Los Angeles Lakers were in the middle of a great stretch as they approached the All-Star break, winning three straight games at the time. However, the team has struggled to replicate their success after the resumption of the campaign. Apart from a narrow win against the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers lost to the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns. As they face the in-form Los Angeles Clippers, Laker Nation will hope that the team can turn back to winning ways. For the same, the availability of LeBron James will be crucial.
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The Los Angeles Lakers have been injury-riddled this season. For yet another game, the franchise has added multiple players to their injury report. The likes of Christian Wood, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Gabe Vincent are those who have been flagged as “out”. Whereas, Cam Reddish and Anthony Davis are listed as “probable”, while LeBron James has been listed as “questionable”.
Due to a left ankle peroneal tendinopathy issue, LeBron James has been a regular addition to the team’s injury report. Despite the injury, Bron has been playing for a majority of the games, missing only three out of the 10 the team has played in February. Given that LeBron James has made it a habit to play through injury even at the age of 39, it is likely that he will take the floor for this highly-anticipated match-up as well.
After playing merely 13 minutes in the All-Star Game, the King sat out for the 22nd February contest against the Golden State Warriors. However, fans of the franchise will hope that LBJ can wear the jersey and set foot on the hardwood as he did in the past two contests.
LeBron James has missed only 8 games in Year 21
LeBron James has been known for his incredible strength and durability. However, over the past three seasons, the 6ft 9” forward has been dealing with injury issues that caused him to participate in only 156 regular-season games. Entering his 21st professional campaign, James was expected to have a similar season due to his age, in terms of games played.
However, James has been extremely impressive, having missed only 8 out of the 59 games so far. In the games that he failed to suit up, the Lakers went 4-4. But when he does play, James’ production is commendable for a 39-year-old.
Even though he’s playing fewer minutes (34.9 minutes per game) as compared to the past two seasons, James has been averaging 25 points, 7.2 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game. While he was already rewarded for his performance with a 20th All-Star selection, there is a huge possibility that he also receive a 20th All-NBA nod once the regular season is over.
But, at the moment, James wouldn’t be too focused on his All-NBA selection or any other individual accolade. The current task in hand for Bron would be to help the Lakers win and comfortably enter the postseason. Defeating the Los Angeles Clippers will not only boost the Purple & Gold’s morale but will also help regain their 9th spot in the Western Conference standings.
