The Los Angeles Lakers are mostly healthy right now in their playoff run, but there are some nagging injuries starting to pop up. Rui Hachimura is dealing with a facial issue that requires him to wear a mask, and now LeBron James is dealing with groin and hip issues.
Luckily for the Lakers, it doesn’t sound like those injuries are going to keep him out. When asked about his health, James made it clear what his playing status for Game 3 will be.
“I’m available today,” James said, per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha.
James hurt his groin in March, which caused him to miss seven games. He hasn’t been playing at the same level he was before the injury. James isn’t going to miss a playoff game unless he absolutely can’t play, but this should be something to monitor if he continues to struggle offensively.
Timberwolves Trying to Limit James
This hasn’t been the start to the playoffs that James is accustomed to. He had just 19 points in Game 1 and 21 points in Game 2.
This is also the first playoff series of his career where he isn’t widely considered the best player on the team. The Timberwolves know they can’t stop Luka Doncic on offense, so much of their defensive gameplan is focused on limiting James, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“When Minnesota secured the No. 6 seed and locked in a first-round matchup with L.A., one of the specific aims of the Wolves’ game plan, sources told ESPN, was to limit James in transition, believing that if they force him to work in half-court sets, he could tire over the course of a long series,” McMenamin wrote.
“Through two games, it has been a successful effort. That outlet feed from Doncic accounts for James’ only two transition points of the series. He averaged 6.0 transition points per game in the regular season — sixth best in the NBA.”
James & Luka Doncic Building Trust
Since the Lakers started playing much better immediately after the Doncic trade, it’s easy to forget that sometimes big roster changes like this take time to work. Doncic is a very unique player who will make a lot of creative offensive decisions.
James thinks that the two have built enough trust.
“One thing about Luka,” James told ESPN, “you got to be at the right spot at the right time or you got to make the connection, or he won’t pass you the ball like that. So, I think he trusts me.”
Doncic echoed what James was saying.
“It’s easy,” Doncic told ESPN after Game 2. “I know what he’s going to do. He’s going to beat his defender and I just throw it up there. It’s not hard.”
The Lakers’ only path to winning the championship is if Doncic and James play like top-10 players. Los Angeles doesn’t have the size or depth to overcome those two not playing their best.
Doncic has been very good through two games, and while James is playing very good defense, his offensive output has been lackluster. It’s a lot to ask of a 40-year-old player, but the Lakers need him to find his rhythm on offense.
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