After suffering a sprained ankle during Sunday’s game against the Pelicans, Lakers star LeBron James has missed two games in a row. He missed Tuesday’s game against the Mavericks and will likely miss more games in the weeks to come. Moreover, he is currently dealing with soreness in his left knee. As a result, we’ll discuss the potential long-term impact of this injury.
LeBron James injured his ankle in Sunday’s loss to the Pelicans
After sustaining an ankle injury in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, LeBron James issued a statement, expressing concern about the injury. Previously, James had only missed a couple of games due to injuries, but now he could miss the entire 2021-22 season. LeBron James was scoring at a high rate for the Lakers this season, and Sunday’s injury was no different. He scored 39 points on 14 of 27 shots, while dishing out nine rebounds and five assists. However, the Los Angeles Lakers have not been able to give him a proper supporting cast, and the injury may keep him out of games until the next week.
It is not clear when the injury occurred, but James said he did not plan to play through it if he didn’t have to in a play-in game. He is expected to miss Tuesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. While James is not expected to return until Tuesday, the Lakers’ poor offensive performance is not surprising. They were up 23 points at the half and have been able to hold their lead by a small margin since then.
After losing the game to the Pelicans, the Los Angeles Lakers fell to ninth place in the Western Conference. They still trail the San Antonio Spurs by one game for the 11th spot, and the Spurs are almost certain to win the tiebreaker. With eight games remaining, however, the Lakers are still in the playoff hunt, and it will be interesting to see if they can still keep the momentum going.
He missed Tuesday’s game against the Mavericks
The Lakers were looking to get back on track after losing in Philadelphia on Monday, but a few key players were missing. LeBron James scored only four points in the fourth quarter, and his lack of explosiveness is concerning. James has averaged 30.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists this season. His absence could be devastating to the Lakers, who have been one of the most impressive teams in the NBA this season. James’ absence will likely leave the Lakers in the hunt for a Play-In spot, as the Mavericks currently hold the same record as the Lakers and have a better record.
Los Angeles has already lost two of their three playoff games due to injuries. While Anthony Davis remains out for the season, LeBron James will be a major loss for the Lakers. LeBron James is battling an ankle sprain and will miss the Lakers’ next two games against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Denver Nuggets.
In addition to missing Tuesday’s game, James will also miss Thursday’s game against the Utah Jazz. The Los Angeles Lakers have allowed him to return home to seek treatment for the ankle injury he sustained during Sunday’s game against the Pelicans. LeBron James is not expected to be back until Wednesday, but his absence will help the Lakers avoid the play-in game.
The Mavericks are down to their final road trip of the regular season, and a victory here would complete a season series sweep. With LeBron out, they will look to Maxi Kleber and Spencer Dinwiddie to step up and make the Mavs a winner. A win would also help the Lakers avoid a second straight loss.
He is dealing with soreness in his left knee
Despite his stellar play on the court, LeBron James is dealing with soreness in his right knee. On Sunday, he missed his third consecutive game because of the pain. MRI tests revealed general swelling and tenderness in the left knee. The Lakers coach did not seem concerned before the game, but the star player appeared to be grumpy on social media. However, the news isn’t all bad, as he returned to the court Tuesday night and scored 33 points and seven rebounds. That made it his 18th consecutive game with at least 25 points.
The injury is not the first one that has plagued the Lakers this season. The 37-year-old has missed at least 19 games this season due to different injuries. James is currently second in scoring in the NBA with a 30.0-point average. Despite the soreness, James has played in eight straight games to maintain his streak. He’s also averaging 8.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists during that stretch. Vogel said that James’ absence did not mean he was strategic in sitting out games. He is scheduled to have five days off before playing against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
James missed three days of practice against the Atlanta Hawks. That allowed him to gradually ramp up his practice and game time. When he returns, the injury is likely to persist until the end of the season, and he’ll be monitored by his trainer to see if he is ready to return to the court. While the NBA isn’t willing to make a decision until LeBron is fully recovered, the Lakers will continue to monitor his progress.
He may be out for a long time
LeBron James’s latest injury may force him to miss a few weeks of basketball. The sprained ankle will keep him out of action for the next few weeks. The injury is not the only reason he’s missing games, though. It’s also the source of some recent criticism, including the accusation that James is being selfish by padding his stats. During Tuesday’s game against the Houston Rockets, James played 36 minutes and scored 32 points on 13-of-23 shooting. The team ended up losing by a 123-95 margin. Despite the fact that James is expected to miss several weeks, he should have quit the game sooner rather than later.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James suffered an ankle injury in Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. James was playing his third game since suffering a high ankle sprain in January. James had attempted a layup off a spin move and got hurt. He was taken to the locker room and checked out by his personal trainer, Mike Mancias. He was back on the court for the last four minutes, and scored a pair of points.
The Los Angeles Lakers will be without LeBron James for the final two games of their season. The Lakers, which lost to the Pelicans in a head-to-head tiebreaker on Sunday, are now 31-43 and one game behind the San Antonio Spurs for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. Los Angeles is only one game ahead of the Pelicans in the standings, but if they lose to Phoenix on Tuesday, they will lose the tiebreaker.
Impact on the Lakers
It’s hard to say what the impact of LeBron James’ injury on the Los Angeles Lakers will be. But the absence of the world’s best player won’t hurt the Lakers’ playoff chances. Assuming LeBron plays 60 games, he will finish third in the scoring race, a feat that would make him the most valuable player in the league. In fact, he’ll probably end up in the top three next season.
LeBron James’ groin injury forced the Lakers to play without a star for 17 games. While this was not catastrophic, the timing was less than ideal. And even if LeBron returns to the lineup at the end of the month, the Lakers could be looking at a tough road to the NBA play-off finals. But it’s unlikely to derail their title hopes.
The Lakers lost their first round game without LeBron, as the team was without their best player. They lost to the New Orleans Pelicans 123-95. After the game, Rob Pelinka made a complete overhaul of the team’s roster, which included a few new faces. James didn’t play a full game due to the injury. Nevertheless, he was able to do his part, scoring 39 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
The impact of LeBron James’ injury on the Lakers is difficult to gauge. The Lakers have not reached their stride this season without LeBron. James’ injury hampered their postseason hopes last year, and his absence from the playoffs has cost them in the Western Conference. Despite the devastating loss, James still managed to play in six games so far this season and has been playing at MVP-caliber levels. His average scoring has risen to 30.3 points per game in 56 games, and his shooting percentage is 34.7 percent from 3-point range.
