The Lakers are back to 2nd seed after the Nuggets’ loss! It may seem like good news to the LA fans, but in reality, it’s the other way around. This could probably be the last time that the Purple & Gold side can taste the 2nd seed. That’s what ESPN’s Bob Myers hinted, citing the latest update on LeBron James’ groin injury. Last night, taking on the defending champions, the LakeShow blew their 8-game winning streak in an embarrassing defeat.
More than the defeat, the team has a more sour pill to swallow. It’s the number of games that the team will have to play without the superstar. In short, Coach JJ Redick has a small battle within his championship aspiration.
On Saturday night, the Akron Hammer exited the court with a groin strain and moments later, Shams Charania reported that Bron will miss at least 1-to-2 weeks. With the postseason around the corner, it might seem like a narrow escape for the Lakers. However, former Warriors GM Bob Myers, who was influential in spoiling Bron’s three NBA Finals, saw differently. He said, “We are acting like it’s just going to be one or two weeks,” featuring on NBA Countdown alongside Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins.
“If [LeBron’s groin injury] goes past two weeks, [the Lakers] could easily fall to 4th [in the West].”
Bob Myers doesn’t think the Lakers have enough of a cushion to be comfortable pic.twitter.com/SIomxw7iCw
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 10, 2025
While SAS argued that James has “incredible condition”, Myers didn’t budge and put forward a threatening scenario. The 49-year-old said, “One to two is a big difference… If he goes past two weeks, they could easily fall to 4-5 (seeds).” Well, that’s not false either. The margin of error is extremely thin right now. Myers continued, “. The cushion isn’t huge. They got 22 losses, Denver has 23, Memphis has 24, Houston has 25. That’s a three game difference between them and Houston. So, I can see them slipping to 4-5.”
Above all, Bob Myers dropped a truth bomb, saying, “You watched that game yesterday, Doncic is grabbing his back. He is not a picture of health himself.” Okay, that’s too many problems in one go. Well, Luka Doncic and JJ Redick do have a response for the crisis.
What plan does JJ Redick have until LeBron James’ return?
Amid the Lakers-Celtics clash, something was caught on camera. It was Luka’s extended stretching sessions for his back. And, no one can escape media’s microscope. Right after the game, a reporter asked if the Slovenian guard was dealing with a back issue. Unfortunately, he was, but he also highlighted, “Have been playing since the fall. Just dealing with it.”
In short, it’s a message to Coach Redick that he can’t overuse the guard amid his nagging back. Especially with the absence of LeBron James at least for a week or two, there will be a lot of temptations to deploy Luka for longer minutes.
This is a developing story!
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