Lakers Notes: LeBron, Reaves, Bronny, Slump

LeBron James was absent for personal reasons Wednesday as the Lakers held their first full practice during a break in the schedule, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. After missing his first game of the season on Sunday due to soreness in his left foot, James “wasn’t in the building” Tuesday for what coach J.J. Redick called a voluntary “get what you need day.” James had an excused absence today, and it hasn’t been determined if he’ll travel with the team for Friday’s game at Minnesota.

“I don’t know yet,” Redick told reporters. “Again, it’s personal reasons, so he’s taking some time.”

James continues to put up remarkable numbers in his 22nd NBA season, averaging 23.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists through the first 23 games, but he may be getting worn down from the long schedule as his 40th birthday approaches later this month. He played 43 minutes in Friday’s overtime loss at Atlanta, leading to the decision to hold him out on Sunday.

Max Christie said the Lakers are staying focused on the task ahead of them while James is away.

“Having a leader like that that’s not here is tough, but I know some of that stuff is out of our control,” Christie said. “It’s kind of like a next-man-up mentality, still, even in practice. The guys still competed really hard even though he wasn’t here. There was some good leadership, there was good vocalization for us as a team, good collaboration, so it was a good practice.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

• Austin Reaves was nearly a full participant in today’s practice as he works his way back from a bruised left pelvis that has caused him to miss the last five games, Price adds. Reaves was held out of one drill that Redick described as “particularly physical,” but he was able to take part in five-on-five scrimmages and other portions of the session. He’s still considered day-to-day.
• Bronny James will begin playing in G League road games, with the first one coming Thursday in Phoenix against the Valley Suns, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Earlier in the season, Bronny was shuttling back and forth between the Lakers and the G League, but there was always the possibility that he would increase his time with South Bay, notes Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
• Jovan Buha of The Athletic looks at what’s gone wrong for the Lakers during a 3-7 stretch has dropped them into eighth place in the Western Conference. There’s plenty to address as L.A. ranks 28th in the league offensively and 24th defensively over its last 10 games. Redick and the players deserve their share of the blame, Buha states, but most should be directed at the front office for bringing back essentially the same roster as last season. He suggests that at least two trades could be necessary to contend for a title, which might mean parting with first-round picks in 2029 and 2031.