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LeBron James May Be Back Next Week

April 25th, 2021 at 8:56am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James could return from his high right ankle sprain as early as next week, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Saturday’s pre-game show (hat tip to Justin Benjamin of Lakers Daily).

Wojnarowski was talking about Anthony Davis‘ minutes restriction in his second game since returning from his injuries and said Davis’ playing time will “start ramping up as we get closer to LeBron James’ return, which could be as soon as the following week.”

Woj’s outlook is much more optimistic than a report on Tuesday suggesting that James could still be weeks away from playing again.

James hasn’t played since hurting the ankle on March 20 in a collision with Hawks forward Solomon Hill, who was diving on the floor for a loose ball. James stayed in the game briefly, but an MRI showed the damage was significant.

The Lakers are 7-10 since James was injured and have fallen into a tight race for fifth place in the Western Conference.

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LeBron James Reportedly Weeks Away From Returning

April 20th, 2021 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James has progressed to “light work,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said on Monday, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN details. However, sources tell McMenamin that the star forward is still likely weeks away from playing again.

James hasn’t played since suffering a high-ankle sprain in a March 20 game. With less than a month left in the regular season, Vogel didn’t offer any prediction on when James might be available.

“Just trying to do a little bit more with his activity each day,” Vogel said.

The news is more encouraging on Anthony Davis, who may return this week after missing nearly nine weeks with a calf strain and tendinosis in his right leg. Davis put in some “good work” on Monday, according to Vogel, and will “build up” for a possible return Thursday night at Dallas. Vogel added that Davis is working his way back into playing shape and won’t get his usual allotment of minutes right away.

“The biggest thing is conditioning right now,” Vogel said. “He’s healthy. But having not played and not really being able to ramp up his physical on-court activity over the last two months, it’s going to take some time before he gets his wind under him and obviously, that’s the biggest thing. Because if his legs aren’t under him, we don’t want him to be at risk for re-aggravation of the injury or another injury. We want to keep a close eye on that.”

The Lakers have been able to stay in the Western Conference playoff race without their two stars, currently sitting in fifth place with a 35-23 record. They are 14-15 since Davis’ injury and 7-8 since James got hurt.

“I don’t think we’re there yet, to be honest,” Vogel said when asked if the worst is over for his team. “I know I’m not, my coaching staff is not. Even when Anthony returns, it’ll be in short, limited minutes … We’re still in a stretch where we’ve got to compete and win games for the most part without those guys.”

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Los Angeles Notes: Drummond, Jackson, Rondo, LeBron

April 11th, 2021 at 9:00pm CST by JD Shaw

Lakers center Andre Drummond put forth a key performance in the team’s win over the Nets on Saturday, guiding the club to a 126-101 victory, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes.

Drummond finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds in just over 22 minutes of action. He served as an enforcer on both ends of the floor, controlling the interior and pounding Brooklyn on the glass.

“He can do that against opposing centers,” coach Frank Vogel said of Drummond. “He can beat them up with his physicality, on the post or on drives, on the offensive glass and then he can more than hold his own and guard his position defensively as well as all the pick-and-roll defensive coverages that we put him [in] as well. He’s a two-way player and it’s a great sign to see him stepping up as a leader the way he did tonight.”

There’s more from Los Angeles today:

  • The Clippers plan to start Reggie Jackson at point guard for “the long haul” with Patrick Beverley sidelined, coach Tyronn Lue said, as relayed by Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Beverley is expected to miss at least three-to-four weeks after suffering a fracture of the fourth metacarpal bone in his left hand.
  • Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe explores Clippers veteran Rajon Rondo‘s case for the Hall of Fame. Rondo is a two-time NBA champion, four-time All-Star and has made four All-Defensive teams in his career, playing 15 seasons with eight teams.
  • Mark Medina of USA TODAY examines LeBron James‘ ankle injury, with the help of opinions from various medical experts. James sustained a high ankle sprain on March 20 and has missed 11 straight games for the Lakers, though a recent report from ESPN indicated that he’s likely to return in three weeks.
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Injury Notes: Oladipo, Beal, LeBron, Oubre, Hill, Temple

April 10th, 2021 at 9:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra refused to speculate on how much time Victor Oladipo might miss with an injured right knee and declined to say whether he thinks Oladipo will play again this season, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Oladipo suffered the injury Thursday and didn’t accompany the team on its four-game road trip. He is considered out indefinitely with “right knee soreness.”

After today’s practice in Portland, Spoelstra told reporters the organization is still in the “information gathering stage” regarding Oladipo.

“I don’t have a new update,” he said. “He’s not with us on this trip and he won’t be with us (Sunday). I don’t have any new information.”

Oladipo’s injury occurred on a non-contact play when he landed after a dunk. He underwent an MRI Friday, but the Heat haven’t released the results. X-rays taken Thursday came back negative.

“He really wanted to be with us and this team and we really like what he brings to our group,” Spoelstra said. “He complements who we are and what we do already so much on both sides of the floor. You do feel for guys, particularly this time of the year. The competition is going to another level. Players want to be out there.”

Here are some more injury updates from around the NBA:

  • Wizards guard Bradley Beal missed tonight’s game with tightness in his back, but the team doesn’t believe the condition is related to his hip issue, according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post (Twitter link). “Don’t think it’s going to be lasting,” coach Scott Brooks said. “I’m hoping that a day off today and a day off tomorrow, he’ll be back against Utah … that’s the hope.”
  • The Lakers expect to have LeBron James back in about three weeks, sources tell ESPN. He has missed about three weeks so far with a high right ankle sprain.
  • An MRI confirmed that Warriors forward Kelly Oubre has a sprained wrist, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN. Oubre is sitting out tonight’s game, but the team hasn’t said how much time he might miss.
  • George Hill hasn’t been able to play for the Sixers yet, but he participated in warm-ups before tonight’s game, tweets Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Hill is recovering from thumb surgery in February.
  • Bulls forward Garrett Temple suffered a setback in his rehab from a right hamstring injury and could be out a while longer, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports (Twitter link). Coach Billy Donovan said Temple experienced an issue while running.
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Latest On LeBron’s Recovery Timeline

March 25th, 2021 at 4:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

There’s more clarity on a recovery timeline for Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James as he deals with a high-ankle sprain. Shams Charania of Stadium reports (video link) that James “has an expected four-to-six week recovery period” from the time of his initial injury in a 99-94 loss against the Hawks last weekend, meaning he is about three-to-five weeks away as of this writing.

Charania adds that James’s still-ailing colleague, fellow Lakers All-Star forward Anthony Davis, is at least two weeks away from returning to the floor for Los Angeles. Davis has been sidelined for the past five weeks with a right calf strain.

When Charania initially commented on a timeline for the high-ankle injury, a more open-ended multiple-week absence was anticipated.

Prior to the injury, James had been gunning for his fifth MVP award, and  his first since 2013, during a stellar year with the Lakers. James is averaging 25.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 7.9 APG, with a solid slash line of .513/.368/.703, across 41 contests during this truncated season.

The Lakers are clinging to the No. 4 seed at present in the crowded West, but have lost three straight games since LeBron went down (including the game during which he got hurt).

At 28-16, Los Angeles is currently two games ahead of the fifth-seeded Nuggets, who just ordered reinforcements during today’s trade deadline. The Lakers are six games ahead of the No. 10 seed in the West, the 22-22 Warriors.

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California Notes: Lakers, Warriors Health, Curry, Wiseman

March 23rd, 2021 at 8:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With All-Star Lakers forward LeBron James unavailable indefinitely as he deals with a high-ankle sprain,  Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports wonders if a rival contender like the Clippers, Jazz, Heat, or Nets will be more motivated to try to make roster improvements at the trade deadline.

Meanwhile, Jovan Buha of The Athletic considers whether James joining his fellow injured L.A. All-Star Anthony Davis on the sidelines could impact the Lakers’ trade deadline plans. Frank Vogel certainly seems to think so.

“I’m sure we’ll get into deeper conversations in the coming days,” the Lakers’ head coach said. “But, obviously, when you have two key guys that are gonna be out, you look at the trade market differently and obviously the buyout market differently, so those are conversations that will be had in the coming days.”

Buha opines that the Lakers could use an additional ball-handler with James and Davis sidelined.

There’s more out of California:

  • Warriors big men James Wiseman and Eric Paschall have been given the green light to return to the floor for Golden State during tonight’s game against the Sixers, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Both players have been quarantining per the league’s coronavirus protocols since last week.
  • Warriors head coach Steve Kerr noted that All-Star point guard Stephen Curry will miss at least another week of play as he recovers from an inflamed tailbone, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. “This is going to be a little bit longer than we thought and hoped,” Kerr said. The team will reassess Curry’s injury next week.
  • Rookie Warriors center James Wiseman has been named the club’s starter at the position for the rest of the season, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports. “James has come along really well. He’s picked up a lot of the concepts,” Kerr said. “He needs to be out there.”
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Charania’s Latest: LeBron, Fournier, Raptors, Holmes, More

March 22nd, 2021 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

There’s an initial expectation that the high ankle sprain LeBron James suffered over the weekend will sideline the Lakers star for multiple weeks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

As Charania explains, James has been incredibly durable throughout his career and has a high pain tolerance, but high ankle sprains are generally multi-week injuries and the Lakers will want to play it safe with the superstar forward to ensure he’s back to 100% by the time the playoffs begin in May. The team has a 28-15 record and isn’t in any danger of losing a playoff spot, so James won’t be rushed back.

Here’s more from Charania:

  • The Celtics are eyeing Magic guard Evan Fournier, sources tell The Athletic. Fournier’s $17MM expiring contract could be absorbed using Boston’s $28.5MM trade exception.
  • Charania adds the Raptors to the list of teams showing interest in Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie. Toronto is also – along with the Hornets – among the clubs interested in Kings center Richaun Holmes, according to Charania.
  • Although the Mavericks have discussed a possible Andre Drummond trade with the Cavaliers, Dallas is more likely to pursue the veteran center if he’s bought out, says Charania.
  • Teams around the NBA are monitoring Raptors swingman Norman Powell and Lakers wing Talen Horton-Tucker, per Charania. Both players are eligible for free agency in 2021 — Powell will be unrestricted, while Horton-Tucker will be restricted.
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LeBron James Out Indefinitely With High Ankle Sprain

March 20th, 2021 at 7:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:08pm: James has issued a tweet about the injury, vowing to return as soon as he can. “Nothing angers and saddens me more than not being available to and for my teammates! I’m hurt inside and out right now,” he wrote. “The road back from recovery begins now. Back soon like I never left.”

6:29pm: James’ injury is a high ankle sprain, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. He will be out indefinitely, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter). The Lakers have confirmed the injury, according to Mark Medina of USA Today (Twitter link).

The severity of the sprain will determine how much time James will miss, notes Bill Oram of The Athletic (Twitter link). He could return within about two weeks if it’s a Grade 1 sprain, but a Grade 3 sprain could keep him out for six weeks, which is near the beginning of the playoffs.

5:38pm: X-rays were negative for Lakers star LeBron James, who left today’s game after hurting his right ankle, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The team is still awaiting MRI results to determine the extent of the injury, Woj adds.

James was pulled from the game in the second quarter after a collision with the Hawks’ Solomon Hill and limped to the sidelines, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). He re-laced his shoes and briefly returned, but had to check out again and threw a chair in frustration as he headed to the locker room (Twitter link).

Some of the Lakers were angry about what happened, claiming that Hill was out of line when he dove onto the floor and through James’ legs on a steal attempt, tweets Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register.

“We don’t feel like it was one of those basketball-type plays,” said Montrezl Harrell. “… He had to go through his leg to get the ball.”

Harrell added that he doesn’t think Hill was trying to hurt James, but said the league should review what happened. Dennis Schröder called it an “unnecessary play,” tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

Hill responded to the criticism on social media, tweeting, “Would never disrespect the game and take a player out purposely… he knows that. that’s all that matters to me. praying for a speedy recovery.”

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Pacific Notes: LeBron, Wiseman, Bjelica, Ibaka

March 17th, 2021 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

As our friends at MLB Trade Rumors relayed on Tuesday, Lakers star LeBron James is now a part-owner of baseball’s Boston Red Sox, having become a partner in Fenway Sports Group, the company that controls the franchise. While this represents his first foray into ownership of a major North American sports team, James ultimately wants to own a franchise in his own sport.

“My goal is to own an NBA franchise,” James said on Tuesday, per Mark Medina of USA Today. “It’ll be sooner than later.

“… I have so much to give to the game. I know what it takes to win at this level,” LeBron continued. “I know talent. I also know how to run a business as well.”

As Brian Windhorst of ESPN details, James has put himself in a strong position to make that goal a reality. Forbes recently projected the four-time MVP to surpass $1 billion in career salary and endorsement earnings this year, and that estimate doesn’t take into account the return on his various investments, Windhorst notes. Even that amount of money wouldn’t necessarily give him enough to assume a controlling share of an NBA team, but it likely wouldn’t be hard for him to compile a group.

“If LeBron retired tomorrow, he probably could put together a group with enough capital to buy an NBA team in a short period of time,” an investment banker who has advised on past NBA team sales told Windhorst. “The trick is finding a group that would put up that kind of money and allow him to be the controlling partner if he’s not putting in the most money. That’s a harder deal to strike. But he is the type of athlete and businessman who might be able to do it.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

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USA Basketball Expands Finalist List for Olympic Roster

March 11th, 2021 at 11:31am CST by Arthur Hill

Fifteen players have been added to the list of finalists for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, USA Basketball announced today in a press release. The group will eventually be pared down to 12 players who will participate in the Olympic Games, which are set for July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will serve as coach for the U.S. team, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Villanova coach Jay Wright and former Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce as his assistants.

No tryouts will be held this year. Instead, USA Basketball will choose the final roster by early summer. Training camp is scheduled to being in early July before the conclusion of the NBA playoffs.

“With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021, it’s important that we continue to remain flexible and consider all players who can contribute to our efforts to field the best USA team possible,” USA Basketball men’s national team managing director Jerry Colangelo said. “These additions we are announcing today will help ensure that we are doing that. Having a larger player pool than what we normally have is critical because of all of the uncertainties we face about availability. But for USA Basketball to receive the commitment of so many outstanding players remains an indicator of the great honor of representing your country means to these men.”

The new names under consideration are:

  1. Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
  2. Eric Gordon (Rockets)
  3. Jerami Grant (Pistons)
  4. Blake Griffin (Nets)
  5. Jrue Holiday (Bucks)
  6. DeAndre Jordan (Nets)
  7. Zach LaVine (Bulls)
  8. Julius Randle (Knicks)
  9. Duncan Robinson (Heat)
  10. Mitchell Robinson (Knicks)
  11. Fred VanVleet (Raptors)
  12. John Wall (Rockets)
  13. Zion Williamson (Pelicans)
  14. Christian Wood (Rockets)
  15. Trae Young (Hawks)

Forty-two players remain from the original list, which was announced in February 2020:

  1. Bam Adebayo (Heat)
  2. LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs)
  3. Harrison Barnes (Kings)
  4. Bradley Beal (Wizards)
  5. Devin Booker (Suns)
  6. Malcolm Brogdon (Pacers)
  7. Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
  8. Jimmy Butler (Heat)
  9. Mike Conley (Jazz)
  10. Stephen Curry (Warriors)
  11. Anthony Davis (Lakers)
  12. DeMar DeRozan (Spurs)
  13. Andre Drummond (Cavaliers)
  14. Kevin Durant (Nets)
  15. Paul George (Clippers)
  16. Draymond Green (Warriors)
  17. James Harden (Nets)
  18. Montrezl Harrell (Lakers)
  19. Joe Harris (Nets)
  20. Tobias Harris (76ers)
  21. Gordon Hayward (Hornets)
  22. Dwight Howard (Sixers)
  23. Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
  24. Kyrie Irving (Nets)
  25. LeBron James (Lakers)
  26. Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
  27. Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
  28. Damian Lillard (Blazers)
  29. Brook Lopez (Bucks)
  30. Kevin Love (Cavaliers)
  31. Kyle Lowry (Raptors)
  32. JaVale McGee (Cavaliers)
  33. Khris Middleton (Bucks)
  34. Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
  35. Victor Oladipo (Rockets)
  36. Chris Paul (Suns)
  37. Mason Plumlee (Pistons)
  38. Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
  39. Myles Turner (Pacers)
  40. Kemba Walker (Celtics)
  41. Russell Westbrook (Wizards)
  42. Derrick White (Spurs)

Two players removed from that list are Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, and Celtics guard Marcus Smart. Sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic that Smart turned down an invitation because of injury concerns due to having a short offseason and playing late into consecutive seasons (Twitter link).

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