LA Lakers injury update: LeBron James to reportedly miss at least one week; here's what we know so far
As the Los Angeles Lakers prepare to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight, it is expected that superstar forward LeBron James would be questionable to play. James has been dealing with what the Lakers were calling a rectus abdominis strain, something that came up after the team's most recent game against the Houston Rockets. After a recent announcement from the Lakers, it looks as if James will be out for longer than just one game. In a report from insider Shams Charania, LeBron James is expected to miss at least one week with an abdominal strain. LeBron missed two games earlier this year while dealing with a sore right ankle.
Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss at least one week with abdominal strain, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Lakers want to be cautious with James’ injury early this season.
As mentioned in the report from Shams Charania, it looks as if the Los Angeles Lakers are attempting to be cautious with LeBron James. The Lakers have started to put together a couple of wins after a slow start to the season, and they are going for their fourth consecutive win tonight in a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers know this is going to be a long season, and there's no need to rush James back into action as we are still in the opening month of the season. As of now, the Lakers find themselves with a 5-3 record, as the team has won four of their last five games. James has been impressive throughout the 2021-22 NBA season so far as he's currently averaging 24.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. After LeBron dealt with a number of nagging injuries throughout last season, it's smart of the Lakers not to take any gambles moving forward.
The team will have an intriguing upcoming schedule on the horizon. After tonight's game against the Thunder, the Lakers are set to play at home in five of their next six games. Some of the more intriguing matchups include a showdown next week against the Miami Heat, who have been one of the strongest teams in the NBA so far. If LeBron James is set to return after just one week, it could make him potentially available for the Lakers game next friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the meantime, it looks as if the Lakers will look to the combination of Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to carry the load while James is out. In LeBron's last game against the Houston Rockets, James finished with 30 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists in 36 minutes.