Los Angeles Lakers' star LeBron James is a game-time decision tonight against the Boston Celtics, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic:

The King has been out with an abdominal strain, and has missed ten games. In those games, the Lakers have a subpar record of 4-6. With James in the lineup, Los Angeles has been 4-2. Yet the team has made it clear that they don't want their superstar playing until he clears all the necessary health protocols.

The 37 year old hasn't been in peak shape this season, averaging 24.8 points per night, which would be the lowest since his rookie season average of 20.9 points. Additionally, the newly shaped Lakers' roster have not seemed to garner enough team chemistry to win tight basketball games. They are currently 8-8, not meeting the high expectations many around the league have in their regard.

Russell Westbrook was supposed to have been a major addition to the Lakers' roster, but the All-Star is averaging just 19.4 points per night, while shooting a poor 30% from the three point line. He and forward Anthony Davis don't seem to have what it really takes to put the Lakers over the top.

Currently, the Lakers sit in ninth place in a tough Western Conference. They are five and a half games out of the top seed, and will need to learn to play together as a team if they want to have a true chance of winning another championship. Getting LeBron James back may help with that.