Speaking on “Inside the NBA” on Tuesday, league insider Chris Haynes unveiled the text he received from LeBron James on the plan for his injured ankle. According to James, caution is the approach as he prepares for the final stretch of games.
“I have to be very strategic and smart with how I manage the rest of the season with my ankle/foot to get to the finish line,” wrote James. “Whatever line that lies ahead.”
My @NBAonTNT report on a text message from LeBron James explaining how he’s managing his ankle injury. pic.twitter.com/frSu4hDRJK
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 26, 2024
Fans were disappointed that LeBron didn’t show, and it was worse when they almost got blown out. Luckily, the Lakers managed to win and there are no regrets for LeBron and company.
The NBA mega star was a late scratch from the game, which was slated to be the marquee matchup of the night. While the Lakers were able to pull off a miraculous comeback, it would have surely been easier with James in the game.
“The King” looked well enough against the Pacers on Sunday, when he dropped 26 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds in the 150-145 Lakers win, he made it clear that health comes first and even the slightest signs of discomfort are enough for him to skip the action.
With 62 games played this season, LeBron has been relatively healthy overall and the same can be said for his co-star Anthony Davis. But if the Lakers are to stand any chance in the West, they’ll need the run of good health to continue into the playoffs.
At 39 years old, and with so much mileage on his body, the odds are stacked against LeBron that he can avoid any further injuries and play his maximum game going forward. But if he can save his energy for when the Lakers need it most, they might just have a chance to make things interesting next month when the postseason finally begins.
The Lakers’ Path Is Set
Coming into the season, the Lakers had hoped to be competing for a top-four seed. Instead, they’ve fought hard all season just to stay above the play-in line. Despite a solid second half of the season, the Lakers are still just 9th in the West.
With less than a week to go before April, the Lakers are pretty much locked into the 9th seed now, meaning there will be several games to win before they can even qualify for the first round.
The very first game could be against the Warriors, a team with Stephen Curry capable of going off at any time. If they get lucky enough to win that game, they’ll have to beat the Mavericks or Suns to advance, only to meet the Nuggets in the first round.
Right now, this is arguably the best-case scenario for the Lakers given how close they are to not making the playoffs at all. But with their position already set, there’s nothing left for LeBron James to do but rest and heal his body for the big fight to come.
LeBron will need to be at 100% if the Lakers are to stand any chance against Denver and the process for preserving himself and saving his best begins now, when the Lakers still have some margin for error.
Either way, in year 21 and counting, LeBron has earned the right to take a cautious approach with his body and it’s easy to see how it might pay off the Lakers in the end.
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