LeBron James took the court on Wednesday, but don’t expect him to be available for all of the Lakers’ nine remaining games of the regular season.
James played in the Lakers’ 136-124 win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday, after their missing their first instalment of a back-to-back with ankle injury management.
It is the same ankle that has been giving him problems the last few seasons and the 39-year-old explained to reporters after the game the fine line he has to tread everyday.
“Just be very strategic on what, obviously games and how many days inbetween games and flights and things of that nature,” LeBron said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Understand it and see how my ankle and foot is feeling, but I’m just being very smart about it. Obviously, we are what we are, but our health has always been the most important part of our ball club, not just one individual but for me looking out for myself when it comes to injury and knowing my foot and ankle and things and how it reacts and how its been over the last couple of years. You know just always, you know, keep a hefty eye on them.”
A reporter then asked LeBron whether his team’s standings (41-32) impact how he manages his ankle injury.
To which he replied, “I mean I probably would have tried to play yesterday if that was the case. I gotta be smart with it, it doesn’t..If I’m not healthy or even close to it being healthy then it doesn’t, it’s not good for our ball club anyways. It’s not good for me.”
When LeBron is not playing, it feels like the rest of the team have a point to prove.
LA balled out on Tuesday in LeBron’s absence, with Anthony Davis putting 34 points and 23 rebounds and Austin Reaves recording his best stats all season with 29 points, 14 rebounds and ten assists. in a wild double overtime victory.
It is also interesting to note that the Lakers actually have a higher winning percentage without LeBron (60 percent) than they do when he’s playing (55 percent) this season.