Reports: LeBron James is listed as questionable against Detroit Pistons
LeBron James has missed two consecutive games for the LA Lakers due to a sore left leg. While James' absence took a toll on the team's production, they were still able to beat the Brooklyn Nets 116-103 on Sunday.
According to reports from Dave McMenamin, fans shouldn't get too excited about James' return. He's still listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Detroit Pistons. If he doesn't play, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook will still be the main guys for the Lakers on Friday.
LeBron James has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game against the Pistons, per the Lakers.
Adding to his leg injury, the Lakers superstar left the court grabbing his groin during a 114-101 loss to the LA Clippers on Nov. 9. During the postgame interview, he said that his groin injury isn't similar to what he suffered during the 2018-19 season.
"I'ma go around treatment for 24 hours, on Friday, hopefully I'll be in the lineup," James said.
LeBron James remains hopeful to be in the lineup on Friday against Sacramento despite walking out with a sore left leg https://t.co/yVAcQf3I9X
The 18-time All-Star wasn't able to return to the lineup against the Sacramento Kings. The team lost 120-114 but were able to bounce back as they won their bout against the Brooklyn Nets, who were also missing star guard Kyrie Irving.
So far, James has missed three games, and it's taken a huge toll on the others.
Without James, the Lakers are 1-2. It's notable to point out that the Lakers (3-10) have struggled to get wins even with the four-time champion in the lineup. Winning a game without James could be considered a feat.
Los Angeles is 14th in the Western Conference, right above the Houston Rockets, who are at the bottom of the standings. No one knows what the Lakers' front office has planned to fix their season.
Also read: LeBron James injury update: “He went through all the non-contact… Looked pretty good”
LeBron James should take some blame for the Lakers' disaster season
The Lakers are having another season of humiliating basketball. Last season, the team played similarly, finishing 33-49 and missing the postseason, and they've gotten worse.
Over the summer, the media and fans pointed out the main problem that hindered the team's success: 3-point shooting. Experts were hopeful that team executives would address this issue during free agency. However, they went with the opposite.
Instead of pursuing knock-down threats from deep, the Lakers pursued perimeter players who aren't reliable outside shooters. Clearly, their roster won't go that far with the way the roster is made up. LeBron James hasn't been dependable from 3-point range this season, either.
In 10 games, the four-time MVP is averaging 24.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists. These are his usual numbers, but his efficiency isn't that impressive.
James is shooting 45.7% (compared to a career mark of 50.7%), including a career-low 23.9% from long range (34.5% in his career. King James isn't helping the team with his inconsistencies and should take part of the blame for the team's slow start. It's still early in the season,so James can still improve on making his long-distance shots.
Also read: "I don't believe LeBron's a top 10 Laker": Rob Parker says LeBron James has had 'more bad than good' as an LA Laker