“We are not where I think we’ll be once February, March hit” said LeBron James recently. Holding on a 20-17 win record, the Los Angeles franchise’s fortunes are not as bad as some of its other competitors. After all, they do hold the 7 seed on the Western Conference points chart. However, having lost 5 of their last 7 games now, the Lakers are in danger of losing their spot if they continue playing at the same rate. Furthermore, the team is not set to earn any leniency, as their next matchup is against the Miami Heat. Aka, the franchise against whom they hold a 3-7 record. Therefore, the team would need to give their best going into the upcoming matchup. Fortunately, they will have one advantage on their side on the injury front.

NBA reporter Jovan Buha recently highlighted the Injury Report on X, before the Lakers-Heat game. He revealed that both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are listed as ‘Probable’.  This indicates that both the Lakers’ leading scorers are expected to be present to take on Tyler Herro and co within the next few hours.

LeBron James had sustained some trouble with his left foot right from the early part of the new year. Therefore, as reported by RotoWire, the 40-year-old continued receiving ‘probable’ tags as he continued being listed under left foot injury management. Despite this, he was present in the Lakers’ last 6 games. Therefore, there would be no reason for him to miss out on taking the Heat squad. As for Anthony Davis, the Center had developed separate ailments on his hip, ankle, plantar, foot, and ankle since the beginning of the ongoing season. Now, as he continues to recover from left foot plantar fasciitis, his condition has been deemed good enough to place his availability status at a high level.

The news is good for the lead scorers. However, the same cannot be said about some of the other Lakers’ stars. Bronny James, who last played for the NBA franchise last week, may end up missing his 2 consecutive game. The player had earlier been ruled ‘OUT’ before the matchup against the Spurs, as he had sustained an undisclosed illness. Now, the same has caused him to be listed as ‘Questionable’ before the Heat matchup. Meanwhile, Dorian Finney-Smith has been placed under a ‘Doubtful’ status. After all, he may not turn up for the upcoming game due to ‘Personal Reasons’.

None of their condition, however, may be as bad as Jalen Hood-Schifino, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Christian Wood. After all, all three of them are listed under the ‘OUT’ category. Hood-Schifino hasn’t played since December 1, as he continues to recover from his left hamstring strain. As for Vanderbilt, who last played back in February 2024, JJ Redick revealed that the player is progressing well, and is “close” to making his season debut. By Monday, Redick had no update about Christian Wood, who also last played back in February 2024.

Miami Heat Injury Report

As for the Miami Heat, the Eastern Conference franchise has 4 players listed on the Injury Report. Two of them are listed ‘OUT’. Shooting Guard/Small Forward Josh Richardson hasn’t played a single game since the Philadelphia 76ers matchup back in mid-November. He continues to recover from his heel ailment, and won’t return in time to take on the Lakers. Shooting guard Dru Smith had sustained a torn Achilles tendon during the Heat’s 110-95 win against the Brooklyn Nets. As a result, he will now be ‘OUT’ for the remainder of the season. Furthermore, the 7-game suspension under which Jimmy Butler was placed continues, causing the Heat star player to miss the matchup against LeBron James and co.

Meanwhile, Kel’el Ware is recovering from a right foot soreness but is listed as ‘Probable’ for the upcoming game. However, Bam Adebayo’s back injury still lists him as ‘Questionable’. This puts him in danger of missing a 2 consecutive game.

In light of these updates, both teams will have to make adjustments to their starting lineups.

What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Lakers-Heat game look like?

The starting lineup for the Lakers can be expected to look something like this:

Similarly, given the updates for the Miami Heat, their starting lineup may look like this:

The Los Angeles Lakers or the Miami Heat? Who will you be rooting for during the upcoming game? Let us know in the comments down below.