When Will LeBron James Return From Injury For Los Angeles Lakers?
Since LeBron James suffered what the Los Angeles Lakers are calling "right foot soreness" on February 26 against the Dallas Mavericks, even though his injury is definitely more severe than "soreness," they have gone 4-3 and find themselves still very much alive in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Anthony Davis is not only finally healthy, but he is playing at an extremely high level and D'Angelo Russell has been having some sensational performances when he is healthy as well.
However, the Lakers will need LeBron back out on the floor if they are to be a serious threat come playoff/Play-In Tournament time, which is why the clock is ticking on his potential return.
Including Tuesday night's game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers have 14 games remaining this season and LeBron is not expected to be re-evaluated again until either March 22 or 23.
There is absolutely a chance that James could return before the end of the season, especially given that he has been doing everything he can to get back out on the floor.
The Lakers' star is no longer in a walking boot and on Tuesday, he did his first on-court activity at shootaround, taking a few shots and free-throws after lifting weighs, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
James also went to Instagram recently and had a cryptic post that has Lakers' fans counting the days until his potential return.
So, when will LeBron James actually be ready to return for Los Angeles?
Assuming his foot is re-evaluated on Mar. 23, everything checks out and LeBron is able to resume basketball activities with no pain/limitations, he could possibly return for the Lakers five-game road trip which begins on Mar. 29 in Chicago.
Whenever he returns though, James will likely face some sort of soft minutes restriction.
If there is one thing we know, it is that LeBron always takes care of his body to the best of his abilities, which has resulted in his quick recoveries through the years. The Lakers are being cautious with him though, as a return to the floor too early could result in their star missing the remainder of the year, including any potential playoff/play-in games they may have.
At this rate, nothing has been said by the team on when James could return, but assuming he suffers no setbacks between now and the time he is re-evaluated next week, things are looking good for LeBron to return to the floor by the end of March.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
