Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is set to miss his second consecutive game on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets due to persistent knee soreness.
Prior to tipoff on Friday, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel asserted that the issue is something the team’s staff is staying on top of.
Frank Vogel adds some detail:
– As suggested by the injury report, James has some swelling in his knee that the staff is trying to stay on top of.
– The Lakers already had the mindset that Davis would be a wait-and-see case tonight as he builds conditioning. Wrist tipped it. https://t.co/r2KoVK4j8a
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) January 28, 2022
James, 37, missed the Lakers’ contest against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night due to the knee soreness.
While the four-time MVP was on the fence before the game, he was irate that he was not able to suit up. The Lakers lost to the Sixers by a score of 105-87.
Aside from the recent absence, James has been the Lakers’ lone bright spot of the year. The veteran is collecting an impressive 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game this season.
The All-Star’s scoring average is the most points he’s put up since the 2009-10 campaign, when he was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers during his first stint with the franchise. Furthermore, James is the league’s second-leading scorer behind Brooklyn Nets supernova Kevin Durant.
Of course, the Lakers are going to be highly careful with James. Unfortunately, though, they can’t afford to be without him for too long.
The team is in a huge bind. The Lakers are currently out of the playoff picture as they stand in the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference. They hold an abysmal 24-25 record.
The Lakers won’t just be without James on Friday. In addition, they’ll be without 2020 champion Anthony Davis, who put up 31 points and 12 rebounds against the 76ers on Thursday.
