Great news Lakers fans! LeBron James' long injury layoff may soon be coming to an end with the four-time NBA champion targeting a return on Friday when the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Boston Celtics.
LeBron James' two-week layoff caused by abdominal injury
James has not played since suffering an abdominal injury on November 2 against the Houston Rockets. It has been a rough start to the season for James, who has missed nine games this campaign due to various injuries. Before his current abdominal problem arose, James also dealt with an ankle sprain that forced him to miss two games for the Lakers.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel told reporters on Sunday that James has started to resume his individual workouts and that he has been progressing great with those. The next step for James is for him to be a full participant in the Lakers' practice. That is a prerequisite for James to get back on the court, and the Lakers are confident he can do that before Friday's game against the Celtics.
The Lakers have struggled out of the gates with James sidelined for majority of their games. Through 15 games, Los Angeles is 4-2 when James plays and just 4-5 when he sits. The Lakers have lost four of the seven games that James missed because of the abdominal strain. They are currently sitting in seventh place in the Western Conference standings with an 8-7 record.
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Lakers struggle without James in loss to Chicago Bulls
The Lakers felt James' absence in their last game against the Chicago Bulls. The Lakers looked out of sorts in that contest, losing 121-103, in front of a dejected crowd at Staples Center. They had no answer for DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine, who combined for 91 points on 35-of-60 shooting from the field.
Quite alarming for Los Angeles is its poor home form this season. They have won just seven of their 12 home games this season. Tougher tests await the 2020 NBA champions with the Lakers set to embark on a five-game road trip. They will face the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers in a brutal seven-day stretch.
The good news for the Lakers is that James is set to return on the second game of that five-game road trip. Even though he is already 36 years old, James remains one of the best basketball players in the world, averaging 24.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game this season. The Lakers are scoring 8.4 points per 100 possessions better with James on the floor than with him off.
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