Luke Walton did his best to avoid sending Los Angeles Lakers fans into a complete spiral ahead of Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. While LeBron James remains out with a groin injury, and this game marks No. 15 in a row he’s been on the sidelines, his return timeline remains up in the air. An injury that some believed to be day-to-day has proven to be far more and is certainly a hot-button topic.
Not surprisingly, Walton has been asked about James’ status and potential return often. This was the case ahead of the team’s matchup with the Timberwolves, but the question was a bit different than usual on this occasion. As ESPN’s Dave McMenamin revealed, the Lakers coach was asked if LeBron would be back by the NBA All-Star break.
Walton’s response? He’s hopeful.
“I mean I would assume he’s back, I’m hopeful that he’s back, that’s a long way away. But you know, if he’s not ready by then, then he’s still not ready. It’s one of those things that we’ll see as it comes.” Walton said, per McMenamin.
Luke Walton was asked point blank if LeBron James would be back before the All-Star Game. Here was his answer:
This answer is somewhat interesting, for a few reasons. After he said that he assumes James would be back, he quickly turns a bit in other direction. Considering the Lakers’ final game before the NBA All-Star break is on February 12, it’s safe to say the concern level would be high if he’s not back by then.
Additional Updates on LeBron James’ Injury Status
There’s been a mixture of good and bad pieces of news which impact LeBron’s injury timeline that has come to light. Earlier this week, Mike Trudell of the Lakers revealed that James was able to take part in 5-on-5 non-contact work while getting up and down the floor a bit in the process.
Luke Walton said LeBron James got up and down the court a little bit yesterday, did some 5-on-5 non-contact work.
Beyond that, The Athletic’s Bill Oram cited that he was able to get back into portions of practice on Wednesday, January 23, but that he hasn’t done any contact drills to this point. The fact James has been unable to do much in the very little practice time he’s had obviously doesn’t leave an optimistic outlook.
Lakers’ Stretch Ahead of All-Star Break
Between now and the team’s final game before the break, Walton’s squad has nine games, including Thursday’s date the Timberwolves. In that stretch, seven of the games are against teams who at least have a chance at making the playoffs. The final run includes five consecutive games away from the Staples Center, featuring dates with the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers.
If the timeline for James does push near mid-February, the Lakers may not have the leisure of holding him out longer, assuming he’s roughly 100 percent. While they currently sit at 25-23, it leaves them on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. To make matters worse, the Western Conference is a huge logjam, with 11 teams all currently within 8.5 games of each other.
Even beyond that, there are eight teams from spots 6-13 who sit just five games apart, and the Lakers are right in the middle of that mix.
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LeBron James Injury: Chance Lakers Star Out Through All-Star Break?