LeBron James make his return to the court after missing the Los Angeles Lakers’ last two games due to left foot soreness. The 39-year-old star was sidelined for the team’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers last Sunday and their loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
Ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Lakers initially listed James as questionable. However, just before tip-off, the team confirmed that LeBron would play and named him as a starter for the game. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated LeBron would “try to give it a go” after participating in the team’s walkthrough earlier in the day.
JJ Redick says LeBron will "give it a go" tonight vs Grizzlies, per @mcten
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 16, 2024
LeBron has been sidelined due to left foot soreness pic.twitter.com/UeWikBHFR9
James last played on December 6 in a narrow 134-132 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Despite recording an impressive 39-point triple-double in that game, the loss left him visibly frustrated. Since then, the Lakers gave their star player an eight-day break to recover and prepare for the upcoming schedule.
LeBron James And The Lakers Look For Solutions To Roster Issues
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to face challenges this season, even with their star duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the charge. After firing head coach Darvin Ham last season, the team hired JJ Redick with hopes of turning things around. However, recent reports from NBA scouts suggest the Lakers’ issues might not have been with Ham. But rather with the construction of the team’s roster.
JJ Redick appears focused on finding solutions. According to Jovan Buha, Redick is searching for a complementary player to join the starting lineup alongside Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves. Redick specified that the ideal candidate would be a strong point-of-attack defender who doesn’t require heavy touches on offense and can consistently knock down three-pointers.
While Redick didn’t name any specific targets, this approach indicates that the Lakers are looking to address gaps in their roster rather than relying solely on their star power. Whether this strategy will help the team overcome their struggles remains to be seen.
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