Getty Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
As the Los Angeles Lakers draw closer to wrapping up a disappointing 2018-19 season which will not feature a playoff berth, a few questions remain around the team. At this point, one of the biggest is where the Lakers will land in the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery, which will be a talking point over the coming weeks. Another topic is LeBron James and how much he’ll play down the stretch.
After James suited up for the team’s game against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, they now have the second leg of a back-to-back against the Utah Jazz Wednesday. While no official word has been revealed on the All-Star’s status, there’s an obvious reason to believe that he’ll sit this game out.
LeBron James’ Status Outlook vs. Jazz
Although the Lakers have only had one back-to-back since they were essentially eliminated from postseason play, James sat that game out. It was against the Detroit Pistons and was the second leg, similar to this situation. He was also rested against the Milwaukee Bucks last week even though the team was coming off one day’s rest.
It seems more likely than not that James will be rested on Wednesday, especially after logging 34 minutes and scoring 23 points with 14 assists and seven rebounds. The Lakers just have no reason to push it with their star, but the official decision likely won’t be revealed until the mid-to-late afternoon.
UPDATE: LeBron James has been ruled out for the game against the Jazz, per the team.
Lakers Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Jazz
*Notates expected starters
C: JaVale McGee*, Mike Muscala
PF: Kyle Kuzma*, Moritz Wagner, Johnathan Williams
SF: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope*, Isaac Bonga
SG: Lance Stephenson*, Reggie Bullock
PG: Rajon Rondo*, Alex Caruso, Scott Machado
Along with James sitting, the Lakers will be without Tyson Chandler. Both Reggie Bullock and Mike Muscala are currently listed as questionable. All three players were out on Tuesday and it led to the starters logging heavy minutes. Beyond LeBron, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (36 minutes), Rajon Rondo (33), JaVale McGee (32) and Kyle Kuzma (30) were all busy. Caldwell-Pope tallied 29 points with five rebounds while McGee racked up 20 points with 15 rebounds and four blocks.
With the Lakers boasting a shortened bench, it led to Lance Stephenson and Alex Caruso both playing over 20 minutes. Johnathan Williams (16) and Moritz Wagner (12) saw decent run as well. Giving the young players some extended run could be a wise move for the Lakers down the stretch, as their 2019-20 roster will almost certainly look quite a bit different.
Considering this is a back-to-back, there’s at least a small chance that players beyond the above names could wind up sitting out as well. Although Lakers coach Luke Walton hasn’t rested players often, it could still be a situation to monitor.
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