LeBron James (left knee soreness/swelling) will formally be listed as “doubtful” for the Los Angeles Lakers contest against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. This comes after The Athletic's Shams Charania reported LeBron is “expected to miss” the game, and possibly more.
Lakers injury report vs. Blazers confirms Vogel's comments: LeBron James is listed as doubtful.
Anthony Davis (wrist) is probable. pic.twitter.com/9Q8hq6sxqO
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) February 1, 2022
If LeBron isn't able to go, it will be his fourth missed game in a row since he woke up with knee soreness on Thursday.
Frank Vogel said LeBron James is listed as "doubtful" for Wednesday's game vs. Portland. He said LeBron is still working to get the swelling in his left knee down.
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) February 1, 2022
Should Lakers fans be concerned about LeBron's latest ailment? Here's everything we know, so far.
Last Thursday — less than 48 hours after a high-flying win over the Brooklyn Nets — LeBron woke up with what the team described as soreness in his left knee. LeBron came onto the Wells Fargo Center court for a few minutes of light shooting before he was predictably held out of that night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers — the first leg of a back-to-back. The Lakers lost, 105-87.
Frank Vogel said LeBron would not need to undergo further testing and was “literally day-to-day.”
🤬🤬🤬🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 27, 2022
That same Thursday, Shams said LeBron's injury was more a result of “wear and tear” and wasn't tied to any specific play — which one can read as encouraging or worrisome at this stage of the season and his career.
On Friday, James was ruled out for the game against the Charlotte Hornets. Once again, he got a few shots up hours before tip-off. Vogel said there was increased swelling in his knee. The Lakers lost in the final seconds.
On Sunday, Vogel revealed that LeBron flew back to Los Angeles on Saturday to undergo testing. An MRI revealed no structural damage, but James was experiencing “general swelling” — which can render imaging more opaque.
The Lakers blew an 11-point fourth-quarter lead to the Atlanta Hawks to finish the road trip 2-4. Anthony Davis said he had “no idea what's going on” with LeBron's knee. Vogel said he was unclear about LeBron's status for the Blazers bout on Wednesday.
“As long as the swelling is there, he’s going to be out and hopefully we’ll get him back as soon as we can,” Vogel said.
LeBron James was not present at the Lakers facility for Tuesday's practice. Russell Westbrook did speak to the media and said that while he hasn't talked to LeBron about basketball recently, he is optimistic about his teammate's status.
Russell Westbrook said he has talked to LeBron James recently but "nothing about basketball".
On his knee: "To my knowledge, he's alright."
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) February 1, 2022
Vogel confirmed that LeBron spent Tuesday's practice away from the team as he works to get the swelling down. He classified the treatment as a more preventative measure, as James would be vulnerable to a more serious injury if he played on a swollen left knee.
In his 19th season, James is tied for second in the NBA in scoring (29.1 PPG), fourth in minutes (36.6), and 10th in usage rate (min. 1,000 minutes). His heavy load — especially in the 17 games Anthony Davis missed — had been a burbling topic of conversation around the team. LeBron has dismissed workload concerns, insisting that he knows his body better than anybody and responds better to constant activity, rather than extra rest.
“I don’t play the game thinking about injuries. And also, I feel worse when I play low minutes,” LeBron said in October.
Vogel has repeatedly acknowledged that his minutes are monitored daily by the Lakers medical staff.
“I think about it every day,” Vogel said. “We’re always mindful of the load that he’s carrying. In constant communication with him and the medical team. In terms of what we do going forward with the knee and where he’s at, it’s really a heavy lean on the medical staff…and what they feel is best. It’s really not a head coach thing as much as it is we rely on the medical team.”
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YyYUwMZsLM1wZsFmmFkqs?si=9c46a394e34d4263
After Portland, the Lakers will have a back-t0-back vs. the Los Angeles Clippers (“road”) and New York Knicks on Friday and Saturday. There are seven games until the All-Star break.
The Lakers are 5-10 without James this season.
The good news? The ninth-seeded Lakers (24-27) may be firmly ensconced in their position in the standings, so they can be cautious with their best player — even if they continue to lose. They're five games behind the sixth-seeded Dallas Mavericks, who, along with the fifth-seeded Denver Nuggets, are playing their best ball of the season. By contrast, the current 10- and 11-seeds, the Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs, are free falling.
LeBron may be grateful for the play-in game, this year.
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