In the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, LeBron James lay on the deck in pain after Desmond Bane hit his calf, startling both lakers management and the full Staples Center. LeBron fell down for a few minutes.
Eventually, he got up and continued the game (he played for 40 minutes) and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Well, except for James.
In comments after the game, LeBron said his ankle was "sore" and needed "24 hours" treatment on Monday. He didn't shy away from any questions or concerns, saying only that he hoped he would be ready to face the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.
On Monday, LeBron was listed as "probable" for playing against the Spurs for "ankle pain" and was relegated to "problematic" on Tuesday morning. After a few hours, he was excluded. LeBron missed a second straight game in Wednesday's game — the Lakers' shocking loss to the Oklahoma Thunder.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on NBA Today on Thursday that the Lakers are optimistic that James will be able to make a comeback in Los Angeles on Friday night against his old club, the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was officially listed as a "suspicious person".
The Lakers' official status report against the Cavaliers shows that LeBron's (ankle injury) is questionable. Anthony Davis (knee injury) is very likely. Rondo also had problems with his right ankle.
Frank Vogel downplayed the seriousness of LeBron's injury, noting that the injury and location this time was different from the sprain of his right ankle last March. Prior to the game against the Thunder, James underwent footwork and rhythm training under Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy.
Of course, now is not the time to panic. That being said, I think there are two reasons to be concerned.
The Lakers' injuries this season have been more serious than initially expected
When Ariza missed the lakers' training camp on the first day, the team said it was a precaution and they weren't worried about his "ankle pain." Welp。 It turned out that he needed surgery and would not be discharged from the hospital until December at the earliest.
In the preseason, the Lakers believed way Wayne Ellington had tendon problems every day. Subsequent MRI showed grade 1 strain. Two weeks later, he still hasn't played (his performance in the Cavaliers game is questionable).
Kendrick Nunn was put on the "debatable" list for a sprained right ankle in his opening game against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 19. Two days later, MRI images showed a bone bruise on his knee. He was excluded for at least two to three weeks.
This is not to accuse the Lakers of being shy or deliberately understating injuries. It just means that things happen, the injury recurs or worsens, and more tests often lead to more diagnoses. As mentioned above, we've seen leBron's state change several times since Sunday. Never make any assumptions until the players are back on the field.
After Sunday's game, James admitted he recalled last March, when Atlanta Hawks forward Solomon Hill hit his ankle, causing months-long high sprains.
James said: "The first thing I said to myself was, 'Don't come back because, obviously, it's pretty much the same, but not the same way of playing.'" Guy fell into my leg, there's nothing you can do about it, and I can't get my leg out in time. ”
When Hill hit James's leg, LeBron's ankle bent outward, causing James to writhe in immediate pain. He remained in the game to continue his double-digit scoring record before being substituted for the next game. A high sprain forced James away from 20 games, and his return was clearly hampered. Last week, he revealed that his ankle would need two months to recover in the summer before he could start basketball.
In Bane's argument, James' ankle didn't roll in the same way, and he jumped up in exuberance. But, as co-host Cooper Halpern of Lakers Multiverse put it in our latest episode, the fact that this is another injury to the same ankle is worrying in itself.
At the end of the 2020-21 season, plagued by injuries, the Lakers should be extra cautious about LeBron. If there's any lingering pain, there's no reason to force things, especially back-to-back at the beginning of the season.
Vogel said: "There is some pain, and we are taking a marathon approach." clever.
However, James has not completely cleared the suspicion. More broadly, the fear that existed in two consecutive games caused James and Anthony Davis to hit the floor with pain and leg grabbing served as a reminder of how quickly the championship team around a 36-year-old with two years left on a contract could be closed.