LeBron James has demonstrated throughout the first quarter of the 2024–25 Los Angeles Lakers season that he still has the energy to be the best player on the court at any given time.
After a difficult stretch of shooting the basketball, James has found his offensive rhythm in the last week, though the Lakers haven’t necessarily won as a result. For instance, James had a huge triple-double in a losing overtime effort against the Atlanta Hawks after breaking out in a lopsided defeat to the Miami Heat.
James will turn 40 at the end of December, so head coach JJ Redick must strike a balance between depending on him to save the Lakers and making sure he gets enough sleep to make it through the regular season and possibly the playoffs unscathed. Given this, it was hardly shocking when Los Angeles decided to bench James due to foot discomfort for their home game against the unfortunate Portland Trail Blazers.
The Lakers will have more days off throughout the week because they were knocked out of the NBA Emirates Cup, which Redick thinks will benefit James, who can take the time to recover physically.
“Yeah,” Redick remarked, “you definitely don’t want him out of the lineup.” However, it’s a chance for us to take four days off before we resume practicing. Therefore, it can be really beneficial for him.
Redick stated that he first became aware of James’ foot injury following the team’s defeat to the Miami Heat last week, however it is unclear exactly when the injury occurred.
James’ foot problem hasn’t received much attention, but it’s probably not significant, so he shouldn’t have to miss much time. Even when the team is struggling, it is important to get James as many maintenance days as possible for his long-term health.
The squad as a whole, not just James, should benefit from the time off, as Redick noted.
LeBron James thinks the Lakers must wait for injured players to return before they drown.
The Lakers have already seen a number of injuries that have highlighted their lack of strength, particularly in the front court. LeBron James underlined that he and the club must avoid drowning until reinforcements arrive because some players who were projected to be in the rotation are still out.
