Even with LeBron James’ returning from a groin injury, the Lakers’ star may still be dealing with Father Time (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Every week, Mark Medina shares his thoughts and insights on the latest NBA topics for RG. In this installment, he gives his take on LeBron James’ return and if there should be any concern about his health moving forward.
LOS ANGELES – On a night the Los Angeles Lakers looked at their worst in energy and execution, it seemed fitting that LeBron James looked just as sluggish.
While the Lakers labored through a 146-115 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, James conceded he felt “a little rusty” in his first game after sitting the past two weeks to heal a strained left groin. He finished with 17 points while shooting 7-for-16 from the field and committing nearly as many turnovers (five) as rebounds (six) and assists (four) in 31 minutes.
It seems disconcerting enough the Lakers (43-27) posted their worst performance of the season as they strive to improve playoff seeding during the last two weeks of the regular season. What’s potentially more worrisome: whether the 40-year-old James feels fully healed from the left groin injury that sidelined him for the previous eight games.
“I just take it day by day,” James said. “I can’t worry about what can happen in the future. But I got through today.”
Lingering Injuries Across the Roster
Will James get through the rest of the season? Or how about Rui Hachimura, who said he only feels “75-80%” after missing the past 12 games with an injured left knee and that he won’t fully heal until the offseason? Or how about the Lakers, who showcased a brilliant Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and defensive hustle during a 3-4 record without James?
“He’s back, so it’s going to be easier for everybody,” Lakers guard Luka Dončić said. “He just makes the game easier for everybody around him.”
No doubt, James will make the game easier for everyone. That skill set explains James’ first-ballot Hall-of-Fame candidacy, four NBA championships, and instant chemistry with Dončić since the Lakers surprisingly acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks before the trade deadline. Though the Lakers are applauding James’ return for obvious reasons, they encounter a fork in the road without much clarity on which direction to take.
Lakers coach JJ Redick talked about giving his team “grace” for the sluggish play against an underachieving Bulls team (31-40) after playing five home games in six days and a four-game trip in five days. But the Lakers (43-27) don’t have much time to recover before a four-day trip with stops in Orlando (Monday), Indiana (Wednesday), Chicago (Thursday), and Memphis (Saturday).
Redick and his players have downplayed the importance of seeding so long as they avoid the Play-In tournament. The Lakers don’t have much margin to ensure their preferred scenario, though. The Lakers (43-27) hold a half-game lead over the Grizzlies (43-28) for the No. 4 seed, but they only have a three-game cushion over the Clippers (40-30) to avoid the seventh seed.
Playoff Experience Could Be Key
For better and for worse, the Lakers have plenty of experience with their current circumstances. In three of the past four seasons, the Lakers have made the playoffs through the Play-In tournament. They advanced to the 2023 Western Conference Finals as a seventh seed, largely due to key trade deadline moves. In 2024 and 2021, though, the Lakers made the playoffs as a seventh seed only to lose in the first round. In 2021, James returned with nine regular-season games left after missing 20 games with a high right ankle sprain.
To his relief, James did not miss as many games this season with his current injury as he did in the 2020-21 season. Nor did James’ groin injury mirror the severity of his previous groin injury in the 2017-18 season, when he missed 17 consecutive games. Nonetheless, James could become just as vulnerable.
That could leave Dončić and a handful of role players needing to elevate their game. They already did that during James’ absence. Though the Lakers became encouraged by their effort, they still went 3-4 without their star player.
The Lakers will soon find out if they can win enough games to avoid the Play-In tournament and make a deep playoff run. The Lakers will soon find out if James will have enough durability to help with that task.
Mark Medina
