LeBron James Injury Update: Former NBA Champion Reveals Lakers’ Real Plans

The Los Angeles Lakers have had an awful start to their bubble campaign. After winning just two out of their first four games, LeBron James was declared unfit for the 5th game against the Rockets. Spectrum SportsNet’s Mike Trudell revealed that James was suffering from a sore right groin. So he sat out and watched his team fall to the Rockets, on yet another poor shooting night.

During his appearance on ESPN’s First Take, former NBA champion Matt Barnes said it shouldn’t be a matter of worrying for the Lakers fans. According to him, a real groin injury takes a long time, so this is just rest.

“What most people have to understand is, groin injury is not: you sit out one game and it feels better,” Barnes said. “A real groin injury takes a long time. So I’m not necessarily saying this is a groin injury. I think this is just going to be rest, knowing that the Lakers have necessarily figured out this bubble situation yet.”

Rest now to unleash playoff LeBron James later?

Barnes said that the Lakers will be heavily reliant on LeBron in the playoffs. So for that, they have to keep him fit and ready. He said, “So they know one thing for certain: LeBron’s gonna have to be superhuman like he’s always been. He’s going to be playing 43-45 minutes a night. Now is the time to get rest. Once those playoffs start soon there’s going to be absolutely no rest for Bron.”

In the 239 playoff games that he has played, LeBron averages 42 minutes each night. Doing that is not easy, especially without sufficient rest. During crucial times, like elimination games, he has ended up playing every single minute too. He may be a lot more fitter than anyone else, but he’s still 35, and that will take a toll on his body.

So the Lakers will take every opportunity to be conservative with his playing time. He may only end up playing one, at the most two out of the remaining three games the Lakers have left before the playoffs begin.

Tonight, they face off against the Indiana Pacers who are led by the most inform man in the bubble, T.J. Warren. Although his fourth game wasn’t as good as the previous ones, the Lakers will have to stay cautious and improve their performance, as they try to get out of their slump.

Sources:

How LeBron’s groin injury could impact the Lakers’ season | First Take

LeBron James Playoffs Game Log

Mike Trudell on Twitter