The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to return to the playoffs this year.
They are tied for ninth in the Western Conference standings as of now.
Which means they would have to be a part of the play-in tournament.
Many people thought that their season would be over once LeBron James went down with his foot injury.
Instead, the Lakers’ role players have stepped up and kept the team afloat.
Now the Lakers have just received some great news regarding James.
He is progressing well from his foot injury and could return at some point this season.
Adrian Wojnarowski says James could return with a “few” games left.
There’s an increasing optimism that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James could return to play “a few” games in the final week of the regular season, sources tell ESPN. James has been out since suffering a right foot tendon injury on February 26. https://t.co/3lYNX6MA2Z
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 23, 2023
That is great news for a team that will need to win as many games as they can.
Any loss the rest of the way could have LA on the outside looking in on the play-in.
The emergence of Austin Reaves has been a big factor in the Lakers staying alive.
He has been a scorer and distributor with James out, and you could argue he has been their second-best player after Anthony Davis.
If the Lakers can get into the playoffs, they could cause problems for one of the top two seeds.
Having James and Davis on the floor along with some emerging role players could make LA tough to beat.
Keep an eye on James’ recovery, as his return to the floor will have a direct impact on how far the Lakers can go this year.
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