After two straight wins at home, the Lakers are once again scheduled to face what seems to be their biggest nightmare—the Nuggets. Of course, they do not have a favorable record against the Denver franchise in recent years, with multiple playoffs and regular season losses. Even in their last meeting on Friday, the LA side suffered a 5-point loss, complement of Jamal Murray’s dagger three in the final seconds. What hurt JJ Redick’s squad in that game was the absence of LeBron James and Luka Doncic.

Unfortunately, the Lakers could be met with the same fate tonight as LeBron’s health raises concern yet again. King James will not suit up against the Nuggets. Reason? A left groin strain he suffered on March 8 has forced him to miss the last five outings. Mark tonight as his sixth straight absence!

Talking of James’ return, veteran insider Shams Charania gave more insight last weekend: “He is expected, though, to miss at least another week. His exact return will be based on how his body responds to increased activity here over the coming days and the coming week.”

That means LBJ is likely to remain sidelined for the remainder of the Lakers’ home stand, which will end on Saturday against the Bulls. Obviously, the LA team is extremely cautious about the 40-year-old’s recovery as it is a soft tissue injury, and they do not want to risk re-aggravating it by rushing his return.

However, the good news is that LeBron is making decent progress, as Shams revealed, “I’m told LeBron James is actually having his first workout since that groin strain last weekend. He’s having his first on-court workout in Los Angeles here today.” So, a comeback does not seem too far off—maybe next Monday when they face the Magic in Orlando. But his absence raises major concerns for tonight as the Lakers will miss a consistent 25-point scorer.

With LBJ out, the onus to lead the charge will unsurprisingly fall on Luka.

Can Luka Doncic and Co. protect the home court as injury concerns worsen for the Lakers?

Unfortunately, LeBron is not the only player out for tonight. Even Rui Hachimura will miss his eleventh straight game as he continues to recover from left patellar tendinopathy. As per Shams, the Lakers are optimistic about his return this week, as the forward has started 3-on-3 work. Meanwhile, Trey Jemison III is also at risk of missing his fifth straight game as he is listed as questionable due to an illness.

However, Lakers have some reinforcement in that Center spot as Jaxson Hayes is now healthy and back in the lineup. He has played incredible since his return, even scoring 19 points against the Suns on Sunday. Obviously, all eyes will be on Doncic who did not play against the Nuggets last Friday, but is probable for tonight. He has been incredible in LeBron’s absence, scoring a total of 54 points in the last two games.

But it’s unlikely that he will beat the Nuggets alone. That’s why the Lakers will also need Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht to step up like they did on Friday. It was the young duo’s combined 69-point performance that nearly led the Lakers to a win in Denver despite LeBron and Luka’s absence. Laker Nation is hoping for a similar performance tonight. Moreover, Reaves has truly grown into a star amid James’ absence, averaging 28 points in his last five appearances. If he continues that form and Doncic shows some Luka Magic, the Lakers could surely pull off an upset and beat the Nuggets despite missing LBJ. Thoughts?