Lakers News: Latest on LeBron James’ Injury, LA’s Lineup Rotation and More

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

Tired legs couldn’t stop the Los Angeles Lakers from getting back into the win column Sunday night with a 110-106 triumph over the Detroit Pistons. The victory came just two days after the Purple and Gold lost to the Sacramento Kings 141-137 in triple overtime. 

Nothing has come easy for the Lakers this season, who are 11-11 and eighth in the Western Conference. The team is still struggling to find cohesion on both ends of the floor, and the health of LeBron James remains a point of concern.

Abdominal Strain Lingers for LeBron

James missed a little over two weeks in November with a strain to his rectus abdominus muscle. Late in Sunday’s victory over the Pistons, the 36-year-old could be seen wincing and grabbing at his side. James admitted he was still in pain, but felt the lingering injury is something he can work through.

“Every game it’s getting better and better, but every now and then, I can feel a little bit down there, but you know, it didn’t linger too much, so that’s a good thing,” he said, per Spectrum Sportsnet (full comments in the video below).

Obviously, James’ ab strain is going to be something he and the team have to carefully monitor. When James initially went out with the injury at the start of November, The Athletic’s Bill Oram noted that former Lakers strength and conditioning coach Tim DiFrancesco said on social media that this type of injury can take up to two months to heal.

James only missed a little over two weeks, so it’s not surprising he’s still feeling pain. He’s also spent a lot of time on the court recently, playing 140 minutes over the past three games. James will have to be careful to not reaggravate the strain, as another stint on the sidelines for the four-time MVP would be a difficult blow to a Lakers team still carving out its identity. 

Vogel’s Latest Lineup Experiment

With James back on the court, head coach Frank Vogel is playing around with a lineup that features him at center and Carmelo Anthony at power forward, leaving Anthony Davis, DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard off the court. According to Silver Screen and Roll’s Jacob Rude, Vogel has used the lineup over the last three games and plans to keep deploying it for the time being:

“We played a different second unit tonight. We played the second unit that basically closed the game out in Indiana with LeBron and Melo at the four, five. Call it a centerless lineup. There is a lot more space for Russ. Bron has a lot more space as a roller going to the basket, which was effective and we just have more switchability on the defensive side of the ball. I do think that’s something we’re going to grow and will be a part of our team going forward.”

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

The lineup does seem to have its merits. Spacing has been an issue for the Lakers all season. Russell Westbrook’s lack of a consistent outside shot doesn’t help stretch defenses, so going with a smaller lineup can give Westbrook room to use his ball-handling and passing ability to exploit gaps in the defense.

On the other end of the court, the Lakers have struggled to keep players in front of them, so a smaller, faster lineup from time to time may help. One thing the team does need to worry about if it plays small ball is rebounding, something they’ve struggled with all season.

The Lakers are 27th in the league with 11.5 offensive rebounds allowed per game. With Howard, Jordan and Davis on the bench at the same time, focusing on securing the boards will be a key part of making the small-ball lineup a useful tactic going forward.

Vogel Awaits Return of Ariza, Nunn

While James’ injuries this season have commanded much of the media’s attention, it’s worth noting the Lakers still aren’t truly at full strength even with him in the lineup.

Trevor Ariza and Kendrick Nunn have yet to feature for the Lakers after signing with the team this offseason. Vogel could use depth on the perimeter, especially if his smaller lineups prove to be successful. He says both Ariza and Nunn will be able to fight for playing time when they return.

“They’re gonna have to opportunity and obviously you can’t make any true evaluations until you see what they look like with our group. But we signed them to be contributors, and when they get healthy, they’re gonna get the opportunity to,” he said, per Lakers Nation’s Matt Peralta.

Ariza, 36, had surgery on his right ankle in October and could be line for a December return. The 6’8″ small forward would add much needed height and length on the wing and is a career 35.2 percent shooter from three-point range.

Nunn suffered a bone bruise in his knee in late October. It was originally thought the point guard would only miss a couple of weeks, but he’s yet to see the court for Los Angeles. At 26 years old, he’s one of the younger players on the roster, and his youth and energy could provide a much-needed boost to the team. In two seasons with Miami, Nunn averaged 15.0 points and 3.0 assists per game.