Lakers star LeBron James was ruled out for Friday's game against the Golden State Warriors, but it may be a necessary break for James as he looks to finish the last third of this season. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, LeBron's ankle isn't in a terrible place right now but he decided to get treatment anyway in hopes that it will empower a dominant stretch over the next few months.
"His status for Friday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs and Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Suns are to be determined. James has missed one game of back-to-back sets three previous times this season to manage the ankle. James only played a half Sunday, in part, to ease the workload on the ankle," wrote Windhorst. "There isn’t a significant concern James will miss extended time, but the hope is the treatment will enable him to finish the season stronger, league sources told ESPN."
Aside from the ankle, James has been mostly healthy this season, and it seems the Lakers are determined to keep it that way. At 39 years old, the King has already racked up thousands of miles on his body and it's only a matter of time before his long and successful 20-year career begins to catch up with him.
At this stage, the best way for the Lakers to preserve LeBron is to take it easy with his workload and take a cautious approach to any injuries he may suffer. So far, the results have been promising, and the Lakers are expected to continue this path moving forward until LeBron leaves or retires completely. The big question now for the Lakers is if they can take advantage of LeBron's longevity and win another title before his career is said and done.
The Los Angeles Lakers Are Not A Championship Contender
With averages of 24.8 points, 7.8 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game, LeBron is doing everything in his power to keep the Lakers alive and empower a championship run. Unfortunately for James, not even his continued greatness can keep the Lakers relevant right now. Going into tonight's game against the Warriors, Los Angeles is 30-26 and sits just 9th in the standings even amid a three-game win streak.
After failing to make any kind of moves this trade deadline, James was reportedly frustrated with the team, and faith in the locker room (and among the fans) is at an all-time low that this squad can repeat what happened last year and win two playoff series as the underdog.
This season, unless LeBron pulls off a miracle, the best that the Lakers can hope for is an upper-end play-in spot -- which means the Lakers will have two chances to advance into the playoffs this year. As for what will happen this summer, only LeBron knows the answer. With a big contract decision looming, James holds the future of the Lakers in his hands and any wrong steps at this point could prove disastrous for his twilight days with the franchise.
But until all that comes to pass, there's nothing left for LeBron to do but play out this season and see how it goes. If last year's run was proof of anything, it's that you can never count out LeBron's team, even when all hope seems lost.
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