LeBron James hasn’t played basketball since Christmas. It’s rare to see James not on the court, but that’s something the Lakers have needed to deal with following a groin injury. Los Angeles has gone 5-10 during that stretch, struggling mightily on offense. Basically, the Lakers need James back soon if they want to keep up in the Western Conference playoff race.
If they’re lucky, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. On Saturday, James made his return to practice, and according to the AP, took part in full contact defensive drills. That’s a good indication that he’s getting closer to a return, even if he will not play on Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.
Bron James is back in full-contact defensive drills in practice with the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time since the four-time NBA MVP strained his groin.
James will miss his 16th consecutive game Sunday when the Lakers host the Phoenix Suns.
Everybody knows James is good enough to carry Los Angeles to wins, but the roster hasn’t been able to carry its own weight without him. While he doesn’t want to risk re-aggravating the injury, he also can’t hang out for too much longer if the Lakers want to make the playoffs.
Following the game against Phoenix, the Lakers will host the Philadelphia 76ers before embarking on a road trip. It’s not hard to see a scenario where this could be a huge stretch for a number of players with the trade deadline looming, regardless of whether or not James plays.
