National Basketball Association

Who needs to step up for Lakers in wake of LeBron James' injury

Updated Mar. 17, 2023 10:07 a.m. ET

LeBron James posted a video of his right foot wrapped in multiple layers on Instagram on Monday, as he laid on his bed in his hotel room in Memphis.

He wrote two words, echoing the sentiments of basketball fans — specifically Lakers fans — around the world.

"Fkn sucks."

The injury, which James suffered in the Lakers' improbable 27-point comeback victory over Dallas on Sunday, could sideline him for several weeks, according to multiple reports. He will be reassessed in two weeks, per ESPN on Tuesday.

It's a devastating blow for a Lakers team that had won three games in a row after acquiring six players before the trade deadline and was seemingly on the path to make a push into the postseason.

As of Tuesday morning, the Lakers are in 12th place in the Western Conference with a record of 29-32, only a half-game behind the 10th place New Orleans Pelicans for the final play-in spot, and just three games behind the fifth-place LA Clippers.

James suffered the injury — which the Lakers are currently referring to as "right foot soreness" — late in the third quarter on a noncontact play while driving against Dallas' Dwight Powell. He collapsed onto the court, grabbing at his foot and rolling around in pain.

Television microphones caught him saying, "I heard a pop."

James went on to finish the game, scoring 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter.

Then, cameras caught James limping as he left the arena.

According to reports, James will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury.

It's a huge blow for the 38-year-old James, who just a week earlier had revealed how much the Lakers' stretch run meant to him before playing in his 19th All-Star Game.

"Twenty-three of the most important games of my career, for the regular season," James said Feb. 19, adding, "Not being part of the postseason for two years straight, that's not in my DNA."

The Lakers have only six weeks left in the regular season, and it goes without saying how much an extended absence for James could derail their postseason hopes. He is leading the team in points (29.5) and assists (6.9), while also averaging 8.4 rebounds a game.

Without James, needless to say, the Lakers will need Anthony Davis to play MVP-caliber basketball and then some, as well as require major contributions from the recently acquired D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt — and it doesn't help that Russell is nursing a right ankle sprain that sidelined him Sunday and has him listed as doubtful for Tuesday's game against the Grizzlies.

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During James' five-game absence in November, Davis went on a tear, averaging 31.8 points and 17.4 rebounds to help the team go on a three-game winning-streak and finish 3-2 over that period. They're going to need another Herculean effort from him, especially considering most teams in the Western Conference are jockeying for playoff positioning, with only three games separating the fourth-place Phoenix Suns and the 13th-place Oklahoma City Thunder.

This time around, at least the Lakers have much more help.

Before the All-Star break, Russell showed how valuable he could be as a floor general who makes smart decisions, finishing with a 21-point, seven-assist performance in the Lakers' 120-102 win on Feb. 15.

Then, in the Lakers' 124-111 win over the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 23, James and Davis weren't even the first-, second- or even third-leading scorers. In that game, Beasley, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura all finished with more points than the team's superstars, which was a reassuring sign of their newfound depth.

Finally, against the Mavericks, Vanderbilt established that he might be the steal of the trade deadline, finishing with 15 points, a season-high 17 rebounds (eight offensive) and four steals in 27 minutes. He also played excellent defense on Luka Dončić, helping fuel his team's third quarter run.

For the Lakers to have a chance without James, all of their pieces need to be playing at their best. Russell needs to be playmaking. Beasley needs to be a laser. Vanderbilt needs to be a rim protector and lockdown defender. Reaves needs to be a two-way threat. And Hachimura needs to give them depth at the wing position.

It's a tall task for a group of guys who have only had five games together.

James' injury comes amid him putting up historic numbers for someone in the 20th season of his career. Just under three weeks ago, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the league's all-time leading scorer.

In the short span between the trade deadline and James' injury, there was a different energy permeating from this Lakers group, which went 4-1 over that period. The locker room was lighter. There was a renewed belief that the team could make some noise in the playoffs — if they could just eke their way into them.

"If we can punch our ticket, we can compete versus anyone," James said Feb. 19.

It seemed as though it was going to be a potentially thrilling month-and-a-half ahead for the Lakers, with the face of the league — who has carried 10 teams to the NBA Finals — teasing how much this postseason meant to him.

But instead, it appears he's going to be sitting on the sideline for an indefinite amount of time, watching his team try to figure out how to make up for the gaping hole he leaves behind.

With only 21 games remaining, it's a daunting equation to solve.

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

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