Lakers fans have cause for concern when it comes to LeBron James’ latest ankle injury.
Here are some observations after it was learned that the Lakers star suffered a high right ankle strain during a 99-94 loss against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center.
It can be bad
LeBron James does not scream in pain. He does not take himself out of games. And both happened on Saturday. Although we do not know the severity of his injury, the way he sounded – and as everyone sounded after the game – is a big deal.
Recovery times for high ankle sprains – if they are the worst of James’ injuries – range from a relatively rapid return in two to three weeks to a severe case lasting longer than six weeks. The playoffs begin in nine weeks, and the Lakers know that if they stay in the top six of the Western Conference, they have a chance to repeat as NBA champions if they are healthy.
The Western Conference is predictably smart again this season. The Lakers are 2½ games behind league-leading Utah, percentage points behind the Phoenix Suns for second place in the West. Then they are just 2½ games ahead of Portland, which is currently in sixth place, the last guaranteed playoff spot. The teams from seventh to tenth place in each conference have a two-game tournament. So, not much margin of error.
DEFENSE
The Lakers’ best hope of staying competitive without James and Anthony Davis is on the defensive side, and if there is any reason for optimism, it is that the Hawks scored just 47 points in the second half when James no longer played. not. The Lakers have the best defensive rating in the NBA, and as coach Frank Vogel put it, “If you play first basketball and you defend at a high level, you have a chance to win.”
Second unit, first
Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma, anchors of the second unit, will be even more important as the Lakers try to find offense in the absence of their stars. Harrell scored 23 points on Saturday, but Kuzma only had eight. They need more consistent play from their reserves, including Markieff Morris, who had 12 points and six rebounds on Saturday, and Talen Horton-Tucker, who cooled off after a strong start to the season.