Lakers star LeBron James is expected to remain sidelined for at least one more week as he continues to recover from a left groin strain, ESPN’s Shams Charania said today during an appearance on NBA Countdown (Twitter video link).
Charania first reported last Sunday that James’ groin ailment was expected to keep him on the shelf for a minimum of one-to-two weeks, so his latest report is consistent with that timeline.
According to Charania, James conducted an on-court workout on Sunday for the first time since sustaining the injury on March 8. However, the Lakers will be cautious with his return, Charania notes, given that it’s a soft-tissue injury and the 40-year-old has played significant minutes this season after participating in the Olympics last summer.
For what it’s worth, head coach J.J. Redick told reporters on Sunday that James is “ramping up” and is considered “day-to-day” (Twitter link via Mark Medina).
Los Angeles has struggled without James available in the past week. In addition to dropping the game in Boston in which he was hurt, the team has since lost road contests in Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Denver as well. The Lakers are back in L.A. and will host Phoenix today to tip off a five-game home stand, which runs through next Saturday.
Although it sounds as if James will likely remain inactive for that entire home stand, there are some positive injury updates out of Los Angeles. Starting center Jaxson Hayes will be available vs. the Suns after missing four games due to a knee contusion, per the team. Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) and Gabe Vincent (knee) are also available after being inactive on Friday in Denver.
Additionally, there’s optimism that Rui Hachimura, out since February 27 due to a knee issue of his own (patellar tendinopathy), will return within the week, according to Charania.
The 40-25 Lakers are in the midst of a battle to secure a playoff berth. They currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference, 1.5 games back of the Rockets, Nuggets, and Grizzlies (all tied at 43-25) and two games ahead of the 39-28 Warriors.
LeBron only needs to play 7 more games to reach 65 and be eligible for All-NBA. The Lakers have 17 remaining.
Current top10 all-time…
LeBron James
Michael Jordan
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Wilt Chamberlain
Magic Johnson
Steph Curry
Larry Bird
Hakeem Olajuwon
Tim Duncan
Kevin Durant
Tim Duncan just called
He could easily be as high as #6 on this list & if he ever had a huge fanbase they could argue for him to be as high as #4. I do sorta feel like he should be behind Hakeem but the difference there is razor thin. Shaq, Moses & KD all basically on his same level as well
Top ten for anyone is different. Too many greats and different generations to have a true top ten.
Bill Russell is first small ball big. Yet nobody knows it. He like Magic could of put up bigger stats. If they cared about Winning less.
Curry is a great. I take Jerry West or Big O.
If you keep all of your comments to a 2 sentence limit you’ll be so much better off I promise.
Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor and Oscar Robertson belong on your list. Curry doesn’t.
Where’s Barkley?
To not list Kobe is blasphemy
Your on glue with that list Kobe & Shaq are better than Curry & Olajuwon
QHope LAL and GSW match up in the 4-5 or 3-6 so one gets bounced in round 1.
LA is 2 gms up on GS. 2 1/2 games up on Minny. Both are playing well right now. LA could wind up as the 7th seed. Meaning the play in gm. Then Denver or Memphis in first rd. Stretch run here means a lot. No Bron can hurt. Time for Hero Ball !!!!!
Bonnie Tyler is all I can hear now ringing in my ears !
They should play that in about 5 mins when we doing opening lineups v Phx lol
Wonder if our boy Davey made that bet….curious to the odds he got, I advised him it was a good bet to make over a week ago (gsw passing Lal)
From experience I don’t bet as a homer. But that is a good bet man.
Crunch, I dunno about Davey, but your saying that the Lakers would sink to 6th influenced my betting.
That made me look more closely at the Lakers remaining schedule. Making up those missed games is a significant added burden.
Lakers next 5 games without LeBron
Suns (Lakers face must win situation)
Spurs
Nuggets
Bucks (back to back games)
Bulls
If losing 2 games, …..
I pick Lakers to win today, Austin Reaves is far better than Beal.
Beal is comparable to Paul George
What you miss is they have 2 vs OKC, 2 vs Rockets, GS, Griz, pacers, and end with Mavs who might be healthy at the end.
It’s also the extra games, forcing back-to-backs for LeBron and Luka.
Those 2 can’t play 40 mins in back-to-backs.
Three tough gms there. Nuggets, Bucks, Suns. Tough gm today for LA.
Booker shouldn’t be playing PG. They should of signed Fultz or Smith Jr. numbers, #s, numbers.
You watching ????
Luka does that all the TIME. Lot of players get away with it. NBA wants more offense. But Luka is most blatant.
Sankara- mine is extremely close to yours, but I put Bill Russell at #5 and Shaq at #10. Russell is the greatest defender and winner of all time.
You cannot put KD ahead of Shaq. For some reason, after Kobe died, he flipped places with Shaq on every list — as if he was better than Shaq. He was not close.
Folks will no doubt complain that Kobe is missing, but he was never in a top 10 list until he died. I put Oscar Robertson at #11, Kobe at #12, KD #13.