Following their loss to the Chicago Bulls last night, the Lakers are 4-5 in their games without LeBron James this season. Among them the last seven consecutively. James has been away for the past two weeks due to a muscle strain in his abdomen. During this stretch, the Angelenos have had a friendly schedule, but not even with those are they able to solve the lack of James, who points to a possible return this Friday against the Boston Celtics.
According informs Adrian Wojnarowski en ESPN, LeBron’s presence in the next game against the Bucks is totally out of the question. Tomorrow in Milwaukee the Lakers begin a five-game tour of the east, which explains why the team does not want to wait to bring him back at home. For now, Frank Vogel has clarified that James is already preparing alone and the environment laker has made it clear that the injury is not severe enough to necessitate a gradual introduction to group dynamics.
You could say that his return is intended to match the quintessential classic against Boston, but the reality is that the Lakers need James almost urgently. Right now they are 8-7 which places them seventh in the Western Conference. But the clemency of the calendar does not last forever and the team would appreciate that its three stars could spend more time on the court. Beyond the good version shown by Anthony Davis and the flashes of Russell Wsetbrook, the time without LeBron has not served to build too much and to show the dependence of the team on his great figure.
(Cover photo by Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)