Lakers fans have cause for concern when it comes to LeBron James’ latest ankle injury.
Here are some observations after the Lakers star was known to have sprained his right ankle during a 99-94 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday afternoon at the Staples Center.
This can be bad
LeBron James does not cry out in pain. He does not leave the games. And both happened on Saturday. Although we don’t know the severity of his injury, the way it sounded – and how it all sounded after the game – that injury is a big problem.
Recovery times for ankle sprains – if this is James’s worst injury – range from a relatively quick return in two to three weeks to a severe case that takes more than six weeks. The playoffs start in nine weeks, and the Lakers know that if they stay in the top six of the Western Conference, they will have a chance to repeat themselves as NBA champions if they are healthy.
The Western Conference is predictably fierce again this season. The Lakers are 2½ games behind league leader Utah, percentage points behind the Phoenix Suns for second place in the West. Then again, they are just 2½ games ahead of Portland, which is currently the sixth place, the last guaranteed playoff spot. Teams from seventh to 10th place in each conference will have a two-round play-in tournament. Therefore, there is not much margin for error.
DEFENSE
The Lakers’ biggest hope of staying competitive without James and Anthony Davis is on the defensive end, and if there is any reason for optimism, it is that the Hawks scored just 47 points in the second half, when James was no longer playing. The Lakers have the best defensive ranking in the NBA and, as coach Frank Vogel said, “if you play basketball as a team and defend at a high level, you have a chance to win.”
Second unit, first
Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma, anchors of the second unit, will be even more important as the Lakers try to find the attack in the absence of their stars. Harrell scored 23 points on Saturday, but Kuzma scored just eight. They will need a more consistent game from their reserves, including Markieff Morris, who had 12 points and six rebounds on Saturday, and Talen Horton-Tucker, who cooled off after a strong start to the season.