In their last game, the Los Angeles Lakers managed to procure a narrow 134-131 win against the struggling Washington Wizards. During the game, Anthony Davis stole the show with 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Meanwhile, his frontcourt partner LeBron James had another stellar performance after his heroics against the Clippers. James and Davis combined for 71 points to give the LA side a win. Therefore, the Lakers would want their superstar duo to be available for the match-up against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
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The Lakers and the Nuggets met in the Western Conference Finals last year, where the Nuggets swept the LA side on their way to the Championship. So will LeBron James and Anthony Davis be available for this crucial WCF re-match to avoid a similar fate and retain their winning momentum?
As per the Lakers’ latest injury report, LeBron James is “Questionable” for the game at Crypto.com Arena because of his left ankle peroneal tendinopathy issue. On the other hand, Anthony Davis is ‘probable’, still recovering from his bilateral Achilles tendinopathy.
The Lakers have a whopping nine athletes on the injury list. Collin Castleton, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, and Christian Wood are ‘OUT’. Apart from that, Cam Reddish is ‘Probable’.
There have been numerous instances this season of LeBron James playing games despite being in the “Questionable” column on the injury list. Therefore, it is likely that he will suit up to defend home court against the defending Champions. If he doesn’t play, then the Lakers’ depth in the frontcourt will take a big hit considering they are already without Jarred Vanderbilt. The Lakers are 4-4 without LeBron James and 29-24 with him, which indicates his value. Meanwhile, without Davis, they are 1-3 which also implies that AD has had the healthiest season in years.
The Los Angeles Lakers have garnered some rhythm
The Los Angeles Lakers currently have 33 wins and 28 losses, sitting at the tenth place in the West. While the Lakers are not dominating the scene, they have won 9 out of their last 12 games. It is a huge improvement from their earlier misadventures in the season and lately, they have been making key clutch shots.
LeBron James has played an integral part during the run while AD is also having his way on both ends. The injuries to Vanderbilt and Vincent hurt the team a lot on the defensive end, but they do have enough offensive depth.
However, there are concerns about them in the long run. The Lakers tend to lose leads. The 21-point comeback against the Clippers proved that they can lose their defense quickly if the opposition gets it going. While the recent trends are propelling them to higher standards, there is still skepticism about their approach bearing fruits in the long run.
