LeBron James has been leading the Lakers to the best of his abilities. He also won a championship with the LA franchise in 2020. They have been looking up to him ever since. Evidently, very few players come close to the experience and longevity of LeBron James. He debuted in 2003 at the age of 18. Currently, James was playing in the 20th NBA season of his career until he got ruled out with a tendon injury on his right foot. In this illustrious career spanning two decades, LeBron James has won four championships and four MVPs. Hence, he knows very well to carry his team during the postseason.
After the injury he suffered in the game against the Mavericks, the King has been out for 11 games. The Lakers look like they are preparing to win as many games in the remaining ten games of the regular season without LeBron James. In the eleven games sans James, the squad has managed to win more than they faced defeat. The credit goes to Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell. Other contributions came from Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Dennis Schroder, Jarred Vanderbilt, and so on. But they have not managed to maintain a winning streak. Now, the one question that is lingering in fans’ minds is, when will LeBron James return to lead the Lakers?
LeBron James May Not Return At All This Season
There was speculation that LeBron James may return for a few regular season games in April. NBA Analyst Chris Haynes was speaking to Marc Stein on his podcast #thisleague UNCUT about the recovery of James. In the same, Haynes mentioned, “the chances are 50/50. The Lakers must buy James some time to recover and keep the hopes alive. It is safe to say that even if the King returns, he won’t be totally fit and fine.”
Furthermore, the squad has also lost their brief stay in the top ten. Currently, the 11th-seed team cannot afford any more losses in the remaining ten games. As things stand, the chances of LeBron James returning before the postseason is slim. Hence, if James has to return in the current season, the Lakers will need to make the postseason.
Lakers Coach Darvin Ham Is Still Hopeful
Albeit, Darvin Ham raised the hopes saying that LeBron James might return before the regular season is over. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha mentioned the head coach is hopeful that the Akron Hammer will return soon. Needless to say that the clock is ticking faster than ever for the Lakers to get to the top ten and secure a place in the postseason. The head coach says that every player on the roster is playing their part really well.
If the team can keep the momentum, they will buy a lot of time for everybody to fit in and fight together as a whole group. Darvin Ham also shared his thought on the impact of a player in a winning or a losing cause, saying that sometimes the ball goes in, and sometimes it doesn’t in those circumstances. All we can do as a team is keep trusting one another and keep the ball moving.
