Lakers Playoff Hopes Take A Hit With James Injury

It seems that it’s one step forward and two steps back for the Los Angeles Lakers.

On the heels of the biggest comeback win of the NBA season comes word that LeBron James is hurt. James will miss Tuesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to a right foot injury suffered on Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks. James went down in the third quarter of Sunday’s 111-108 victory over the Mavs in which the Lakers rallied from a 27-point second quarter deficit.

Hard to see what happens to right foot/ankle but the way LeBron grabbed his foot and said he felt a “POP” makes me think

—Plantar fascia injury
pic.twitter.com/2YXhKBHq4F

— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) February 26, 2023

LeBron and AD Playing Hurt

The 38-year old James has played through a series of injuries this season. Anthony Davis, who will need to step up his game in James absence, is battling bone spurs in his foot which could require off-season surgery. Los Angeles has only committed to him missing the Grizzlies game but sources close to the team say the NBA’s all-time leading scorer could miss weeks, not days. One estimate has James returning in mid-March at the earliest.

Finally, D’Angelo Russell is doubtful to play against the Grizzlies due to a sprained ankle. The bad injury news comes with the Lakers (29-32) closing in on a playoff spot. They sit 12^th in the Western Conference and as of Monday, they’re one-game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the 10th spot.

Lakers Playoff Hopes in Jeopardy

They were 1.5 games behind the Mavericks, who are sixth in the conference and at the moment, in control of the final guaranteed playoff spot. There are 13 teams in the West that are still alive for eight playoff spots. But with James expected to sit at least some of the games down the stretch, the Lakers will have to dig deep to keep their postseason chances alive. This season without him in the lineup, LA is just 5-9.

Players like Jarred Vanderbilt, who joined the team at the trade deadline, will need to keep producing. Vanderbilt had 15 points and 17 rebounds in the win over the Mavericks. But there’s no sugar coating it for the Lakers. A season which has been rocky from Day 1, is about to get even more turbulent over the next 21 games.