LeBron James sounds off on Lakers' supporting cast missing a combined 137 games more than him and Anthony Davis after damning loss
LeBron James was not a happy man after the LA Lakers' 114-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets on an eventful Thursday at the Crypto.com Arena. The Purple and Gold hosted the defending champions wearing Black Mamba jerseys to honor the late Kobe Bryant, whose statue was unveiled at the arena.
That, coupled with them standing pat at the trade deadline, made it a rather hectic day for the team, who despite some stellar moments, went down to Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
James, a four-time champion, kept it curt and crisp as he called out the roster for the missed games — 137 more than what he and Anthony Davis missed. Following the loss, James was asked what the Lakers need to do if they intend to make the playoffs. He responded:
"Just health. Max (Christie) went down today and didn't return to the game. So, our whole year has been about health."
The Lakers have struggled with the health of their roster since the start of the season. They were without Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, who underwent a surgery, that's seen him on the sidelines.
The likes of Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes and Rui Hachimura have popped in and out of the squad with niggles. Moreover, James and Davis have played through injuries and still doing so at a marquee level.
At the time of writing, Vanderbilt and Vincent are most likely out for another month. LA will hope that their starters unit stay healthy. With the recent loss, they are 27-26 and ninth in the West.
To make a playoff dash, there's no denying that LeBron James and the Lakers need their full roster at full strength.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis' strong showing not enough to get past Nuggets
In a classic rematch of the Western Conference Finals from last season, the Nuggets got the better of the Lakers again, winning 114-106.
Jokic and Jamal Murray torched the Lakers again in the final stretch of the fourth quarter, quashing all hopes of a Lakers comeback. Murray had 29 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists, while Jokic had 24 points and 13 boards.
For the Lakers, LeBron James had a strong all-around performance with 25 points and seven assists. Davis, meanwhile, ended his evening with 32 points and nine rebounds. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura didn't make much of a dent, though, and LA lacked the offensive punch that D'Angelo Russell provides along with Vanderbilt's defense.
The ceiling for the Lakers appears to be a first round playoff showing despite a healthy LeBron James. Considering their injuries, they will almost certainly need to go through the play-in to make the postseason.