LeBron James still doesn’t sound sure about his injured ankle in postgame update
By John Buhler
LeBron James‘ injured ankle postgame update should be concerning to the Los Angeles Lakers.
After two games back with the Los Angeles Lakers, forward LeBron James does not sound all that confident in his injured ankle heading into May.
James missed 20 games after injuring his ankle in an on-court collision with Solomon Hill of the Atlanta Hawks back on March 20. The Lakers have since stumbled to the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference in his extended absence. While James returned to the lineup two games ago vs. the division rival Sacramento Kings, the Lakers have dropped by contests since James’ return.
How concerned should the Lakers be about James potentially rushing back after injuring his ankle?
LeBron on his injury: "I don't want to say I came back too early but at the end of the day I had to test it out and see where I was at."
— Bill Oram (@billoram) May 3, 2021
The Los Angeles Lakers will not repeat without a healthy LeBron James
The Lakers are 36-28 entering Monday night’s home game vs. the Denver Nuggets. While Denver has had to adjust since losing guard Jamal Murray for the season, the Nuggets still occupy the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. With James and forward Anthony Davis missing ample time this year, the Lakers are the No. 7 and would have to play in the controversial play-in tournament.
Though they have the same record as the No. 5-seeded Dallas Mavericks and the No. 6-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, it is imperative that the Lakers avoid playing in the play-in tournament at all costs. Any semblance of a first-round bye will do wonders in the Lakers’ title defense. Simply put, the Lakers need everything to break right for them at this point to repeat as NBA champions.
If James cannot get his ankle right in time for the playoffs, the Lakers could be in rough shape.