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Have we finally reached the part of the story where LeBron James' unfathomable longevity is turning into a detriment for the Los Angeles Lakers? Considering that he just won MVP honors in arguably the most stacked Olympics men's basketball field ever assembled, it seems risky to rush to such conclusions. James' recent play says otherwise, though. And now, he may have an injury situation to address.
The 39-year-old is listed questionable for Friday night's game versus the Atlanta Hawks due to left foot soreness, via ESPN's Dave McMenamin. Austin Reaves will miss his fourth straight game with a pelvic contusion. Although Lakers fans desperately want to see a healthy and in-form James take the court for the stumbling squad (12-10), this news might explain why his performance has been lacking during the last several games.
But they also cannot simply ignore the woolly mammoth in the room. The four-time NBA Finals MVP will turn 40 at the end of the year. The wear-and-tear of playing basketball at an elite level for two-plus decades is going to take effect. No amount of conditioning and dietary restrictions can fully suppress the body's natural instinct to slow down at a certain point.
LeBron James is serving the iron-man role for Lakers thus far
James, who is averaging a bulky 34.7 minutes per contest in his 22nd campaign, still manages to fill up the stat sheet on many occasions (22.3 points, 9.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 22 games). He is shooting only 34.2 percent from 3-point land, though. The legendary forward ended a troubling drought from distance in the Lakers' horrendous 134-93 loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday, making his first trey in 21 attempts.
Though, the most telling and jarring stat is the team's significant point-differential when James is on the court versus when he is off of it. LA's problems were apparent when he was operating at an All-NBA-Third-Team level last season, so it is unfair to suggest that giving him some rest will instantly revive the squad. The organization does have to carefully consider how it wants to manage his workload, however.
For the Lakers' sake, hopefully the foot injury does not linger. They may sit out LeBron James against the Hawks (12-11) in an effort to ensure that he feels healthy and refreshed for the days to come. Tip-off will commence at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday in State Farm Arena.
