How will Lakers manage LeBron James' knee soreness?
LeBron James put on an absolute clinic Saturday night, torching Golden State's defense for 56 points in the Lakers' 124-116 win.
But after the adrenaline and elation of his incredible performance wore off, James came down with "significant knee soreness."
The discomfort kept him sidelined for the Lakers' 117-110 loss to San Antonio on Monday, and could force him to miss further time.
"With the heavy load that he's carrying for us this year, we know that it's always a possibility," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said of James' inactive status for the game. "I think that's why we continue to list him as questionable to see how it's responding over the 48 hours between games. And this is just one of those days where it was significant enough to hold him out.
"[James'] health takes precedence over any matchup, any individual one game, for sure," he added. "We're hopeful that another day or two will get him back for the Houston game."
Monday's outing marked the sixth game James has missed this season due to left knee soreness. He's sat out eight more contests due to an abdominal strain, and an additional two with a sore right ankle.
He also missed 26 games last season with a high right ankle sprain.
James' health is becoming an increasing concern as he ages, and though he's consistently proven his ability to produce at a high level, the bodily wear and tear associated with his outputs is noteworthy.
And in Kevin Wildes' mind, James should shut down his production for the remainder of the regular season, save for a few marquee matchups.
"Do I think LeBron should rush back to play the Houston Rockets?" Wildes questioned Tuesday on "First Things First."
"Obviously not. [He should] pop up every once in a while. LeBron recognizes that he has a responsibility to sort of carry the league, so [he should play in] big games that are fun to watch. But is there any reason to play a random game against the Rockets and risk further injury?"
Nick Wright disagreed with Wildes' suggestion that the team shut down LeBron.
"Nobody's ever done what you're advocating for," Wright told Wildes.
"I don't think LeBron's going to start it. When he does play, they beat the Warriors. When he doesn't, they lose to the Spurs. So yeah, they need him. There can be some load management, but you can't shut it down."
Load management is exactly what Chris Broussard advocated for.
"If I thought the Lakers could really contend, then I'd be concerned [with the injury]" he said.
"As LeBron said about a month ago, ‘This is going to be with me the rest of the year.’ I think what the Lakers have to do is be smart, and use load management knowing that the future could be more important than this present year."
Lakers have to use load management with LeBron James I UNDISPUTED
The Lakers currently sit ninth in the Western Conference standings and hold a two-game advantage over the Pelicans, who drubbed them 123-95 earlier this year. They also have a 3.5 game lead in the standings over the 12th-place Spurs, but are currently tied 2-2 in the head-to-head matchup.
James' availability will be crucial when it comes to L.A.'s ability to make the play-in tournament, let alone the playoffs.
But with their superstar captain hobbled, the Lakers face a very difficult decision in how to manage him going forward.
