LeBron’s injury – Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is likely to miss multiple weeks with a right foot injury in what has to be viewed as a huge blow to the Lakers’ play-offs chances.
James suffered the injury in Sunday’s win over the Dallas Mavericks. He was able to play through it James played through it, but after tests have been conducted, the Lakers are now braced to be without their superstar for several weeks.
The Lakers sit at 29-32, currently 12th in the Western Conference.
What this means for the Lakers
A lengthy absence for LeBron could spell the end of the Lakers’ postseason aspirations. There are only six weeks remaining in the regular season. Multiple weeks could mean all or most of that time frame.
Anthony Davis has proven he can handle an MVP-caliber workload, and D’Angelo Russell can withstand a larger offensive role based on his track record in Brooklyn and Minnesota. But there is no replacing James’ All-NBA-level play this season.
He remains a top-10 player, and a team that was just hitting its stride, winning four of five games with its new group, can’t survive his absence. The Lakers are 5-9 (.357) without James this season and 36-62 (.367) without him during his Los Angeles tenure.
Figuring out ways to replace his output would be impossible, but the Lakers coaching staff could find a way to manage the situation. They could deploy more two point-guard line-ups, something head coach Darvin Ham has gone away from since the deadline — with Russell and Dennis Schröder.
One thing is certain, It will be nearly impossible for the Lakers to make any kind of noise in the play-offs without LeBron available. It is also going to take a group effort and sound health for the rest of the team to remain competitive in his absence.
