The Los Angeles Lakers will be facing off against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, but LeBron James will not be able to suit up for the game.
LeBron James has been downgraded to out at Golden State tonight due to left ankle soreness.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 11, 2023
The four-time MVP is dealing with left ankle soreness and listed as out for the game. The Lakers have three more games (including tonight’s matchup) before the All-Star break, and it seems rather possible that James could end up missing all of them to take advantage of the extended time off to rest before the final stretch run of the 2022-23 NBA season.
General manager Rob Pelinka said earlier on Saturday that imaging on James’ foot came back “clean and good.”
Pelinka on LeBron James: "LeBron did have some imaging, and we’re grateful that things came back clean and good."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 11, 2023
James’ absence for Saturday’s game comes as unfortunate news for every Lakers fan out there that wants to see the new roster at full strength. The Lakers front office managed to make some great moves prior to the trade deadline, and the acquired players should give them an opportunity to climb up the rankings and snag a postseason spot before the end of the regular season.
However, that being a possibility strongly hinges on both James and Anthony Davis remaining healthy for most — if not all — of what’s left in the season.
While it makes sense for James to rest a bit before the final stretch of the season, the Lakers need to start winning fast. The team is currently sitting at the No. 13 seed in the highly competitive Western Conference. While L.A. holds a low seed right now, the conference is so congested that even the No. 5 seed isn’t that far out of reach.
Just five games separate the No. 13 seed Lakers and No. 5 seed Phoenix Suns.
A win against the Warriors on Saturday would definitely be a move in the right direction. The Lakers are just 4-6 in their last 10 games, and they’ve suffered a number of close losses during that stretch.
At the end of January, the Lakers lost a heartbreaker in overtime to the Boston Celtics. Fans will remember that game well because referees missed a crucial foul that would have sent James to the line at the end of regulation with a chance to win it.
More recent close losses include a 131-126 defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans back on Feb. 4 and 133-130 loss to the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 7.
The Lakers are going to have to close out tight games strongly in the coming weeks if they want the playoffs to become a serious possibility.
