LeBron James had a high ankle strain against the Atlanta Hawks on March 20 and missed the last 15 games the Lakers played. The team quickly declared itself indeterminate, and the only updates we really got since then were through media reports.
In the recent update, Adrian Wojnarowski reported on April 10 that James was ‘on course’ to return within three weeks. Now, a little over a week later, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has said James is starting to do court work as he continues his rehabilitation.
‘It’s still light work on the court, but he does court work and progresses every day. He tries to do a little more with his activities every day, ‘Vogel said before the Lakers tackled the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on Monday.
Could this be what James referred to in his cryptic Instagram post, for this?
Even if it was not, it’s still the first true word we got from the team about James’ progress, and it definitely qualifies as good news. While ‘light work’ does not necessarily indicate that James’ return is imminent, all of this is a step forward, and the fact that he’s climbing the hardwood again and no longer wears a boot on the sidelines for games, are both reasons for optimism about his current health status.
Wojnarowski’s original three-week report would bring James back for a return on April 30 against the Sacramento Kings, on May 2 or 3, when the Lakers face the Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets at home. It’s too early to know for sure where he will fall within the series – whether he will return before or after the dates – but the words of Vogel Monday are at least a sign that Lakers fans can be optimistic, star is busy to return to court.
The team is definitely not going to rush him and at the moment the danger is getting worse, but at least it looks like James is on the right track to return with a few games to get his legs in front of the playoffs. After this season with injuries, it’s just about everyone hoping this team will get a real chance to defend its title.
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