NOVEMBER 19: James will return to the Lakers’ starting lineup tonight, the team announced. The starters will be Russell Westbrook, Bradley, Horton-Tucker, LeBron, and Anthony Davis. The Lakers face the Celtics at 6:30 CT on ESPN.
NOVEMBER 16: Injuries have limited LeBron James to just six games so far this season, and he hasn’t suited up since November 2 due to an abdominal strain. However, it sounds like we could see the Lakers‘ star forward back on the court later this week.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), there’s “growing optimism” that James will make his return on Friday when the Lakers face the Celtics in Boston.
That contest vs. the C’s will be the second game of a five-game Eastern Conference road trip for the Lakers. That trip begins on Wednesday in Milwaukee and also includes games in Detroit (Sunday), New York (Nov. 23), and Indiana (Nov. 24). If the Lakers are easing James back into action, he likely wouldn’t play both games of that back-to-back set next week.
Still, getting LeBron back in any form would be good news for a Lakers team that has had an up-and-down season to date. After Monday’s loss to Chicago, L.A. has an 8-7 record, good for seventh in the Western Conference.
The Lakers’ starting five has been fluid as of late, but Carmelo Anthony is probably the likeliest candidate to move to the bench once James is ready to go. Talen Horton-Tucker and Avery Bradley are the other starters whose spots aren’t necessarily 100% locked in.
Just hope he’s not coming back before he’s ready because we’re playing like crap. If we have a chance we need him at full strength.
He’s coming back before he’s ready. Lebrons done this year in my opinion.
The team needs AD and Westbrook to step up in his absence, but they’re just not the same when he’s out. LBJ turns 37 next month, but unless he is willing to play fewer minutes and accept the load management he so desperately needs, the injuries will continue to plague him. The situation in LA is not looking good right now.
Exactly, I’m always right about these things. I’d rest the guy 3-4 months these games are meaningless. Rest him and bring him back for the stretch run.
So have him rest for 3-4 months and be out of game shape, then throw him into heavy minutes down the stretch? That’s a ridiculous approach in my opinion. He’s old but he’s still and athlete and needs to keep his body in motion. Being in shape and being in game shape are two different things. Rest him on back to backs, figure out ways to limit his minutes on some nights but completely sitting out would probably be counterproductive to keeping him healthy.
Bring him back say February or March, let him play for a month and a half getting him back in rhythm for him to go hard in the play offs.
What’s the purpose of bringing him back next week? Really nothing good could come of that except a higher seed which again, is somewhat meaningless if Lebrons being battered and bruised and at 70% once playoffs start.
Lebron starts next week : 70% health come play off time
Or
Sit lebron 3 months and have him 85-90% come play off time.
Are you insane? You want LeBron to sit for months and deprive fans of an opportunity to see him? Even if the regular season is fairly meaningless for playoff teams, home court advantage notwithstanding, there’s no way that would fly on any level. You couldn’t possibly come up with a worse idea.
Playing him fewer minutes, giving him additional rest days, and being cautious with injuries is one thing. Having him purposely sit out for months would make the Kyrie drama look like nothing.
I think done this year is a bit of a reach. It’s no secret that he’s getting older and wearing down but he’s still a problem and gives the Lakers the chance to beat any team
in the league when he’s in the starting lineup. I’m pretty sure they realize that he doesn’t need to rush back and he’s good enough to come back when he does. I agree with WallyWorld that AD and Russ need to step up with him out and that hasn’t happened yet. Russ needs to get it together period but I would also look to the other injuries that have hit some of the role guys so far. I’d like to see them all healthy (or at least mostly healthy) before I start to panic.
AD is playing almost at MVP level, if that ain’t stepping it up, then… I don’t know, dude!
EL Don is correct (that felt odd typing)
AD is playing awesome on both ends
I don’t know what the numbers say but they sure as hell wont project his full worth-
HE IS the ENTIRE La Lakers defense this year. It helps to watch the team night in night out before making such rash observations
Understood with the numbers being where they should be. I guess I should’ve elaborated by saying that they need to be leading the team into more wins than they are without LBJ. Russ has decent numbers too but plays terrible defense and is a turnover machine. AD is doing just about everything right except for figuring out how to get the most out of his depleted squad. One day soon LBJ will be gone and he’ll be the guy expected to bring more tittles to LA, it starts with him putting on his big boy pants and getting this team in the win column more often.
When his bosses in the CCP tell him to return, he’ll play again.
The beast returns… Let’s get it!!
Hate to say it but lakers don’t have the luxury of him sitting out until feb. team is 8-7 with a cream puff schedule they aren’t getting better. Westbrook and AD aren’t enough to keep them in contention. Westbrook isn’t a player that fits this team. His plus minus tells a story of them playing better when he’s sitting.
I agree.
Who gets the blame on Westbrook being a bad fit?
Pelinka or Vogel?
I mean if we are being honest it might have been LBJ and Rich Paul
I dont think Vogel even had a seat at the table
Why the f**k didn’t they trade for Derozan averaging 20 something points this season.
I feel like the GM botched it.
It feels like a team your little brother created in EA. Mismatched roster.
You’re correct the GM did botch it and his name is LeBron.
Didn’t someone already explain this one last time? Since he was a free agent, it would have been a sign-and-trade to get DeRozan which would have automatically hard-capped the Lakers. Right now they’re about $14M over the hard cap, so getting DeRozan would have prevented them from re-signing THT and also from signing Kendrick Nunn. Even without those two signings it still might have been impossible to stay below the hard cap. It wasn’t gonna happen.
The Lakers’ current salary is something like $14MM over what the hard cap would’ve been, and the difference between DeRozan’s and Westbrook’s salaries is about $18MM. Plus, maybe DeRozan would’ve taken a bit less to go to the Lakers instead of the Bulls.
Obviously acquiring DeRozan would’ve taken the Westbrook option off the table, but it theoretically would’ve been possible without compromising their other moves like THT, Nunn, etc.
Even with LeBron in the lineup, the Lakers still lost to the Celtics by 22.
Only one of the Lakers wins this season has come on the road, where they are now 1-4. Even with 12 of their first 17 games at home, the Lakers have a losing record.
Only five NBA teams this season have a worse point-differential than the Lakers.
Lakers simply playing lame basketball. Boring watching them play. No ball movement. No teamwork.
No chance this year. Wanna make money selling jerseys? Ok!
But they suck, basketball- wise.
Obs: I am a Laker’s fan.
Lakers must have been hoping its already february when they can trade westbrook!
Where’s everyone who picked the lakers making the finals at?? Under .500 and it’s going to get worse.