The Los Angeles Lakers may have to prepare for a playoff push without their superstar LeBron James. James is currently dealing with a right foot tendon injury and was initially expected to be sidelined for three weeks. However, that was only the timeline for his re-evaluation and according to NBA insider Shams Charania, it's more than possible that he will be out for longer, per the latest rumors.
“Yes, they need LeBron James back. We don't know when that will be. Three-week evaluation, re-evaluation for him, and even after that, I don’t know if the Lakers think he’s gonna be back in three weeks,” Charania said. “I don’t think it’ll be just the three weeks — likely beyond that.
“And so, you put yourself in a position where you hope that he’s back right before the playoffs or he gets back for the play-in.”
.@ShamsCharania says the #Lakers will re-evaluate LeBron James in 3 weeks, with “hope that he’s back right before the playoffs” 😬#RunItBack with @MichelleDBeadle @ChandlerParsons & @bansky pic.twitter.com/Vbt95tCWMK
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) March 6, 2023
James is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in the regular season so far. In his absence, the Lakers have gone 2-2 in four games with a home encounter against the Memphis Grizzlies coming up on Tuesday night.
They currently hold a 31-34 record in the Western Conference which is the same record as the Utah Jazz who currently occupy the last play-in spot in 10th place.
It's fortunate that James seems to be making progress in his injury recovery. But these latest NBA rumors paint a pretty grim picture for Los Angeles' playoff hopes.
The Lakers have certainly improved drastically since the trade deadline but will be hoping the 38-year-old comes back sooner rather than later to cement their push for a playoffs appearance after missing out on the postseason last year.
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