Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick said on Mar. 11 that LeBron James remains day-to-day with minor injuries, after missing several recent games including the team’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James, who is in his 23rd NBA season, has been dealing with various ailments that have kept him out of the lineup. Redick said before the game, “He did his on-court shooting before our film and walkthrough and probably just needs a couple more days. So he’s still day-to-day, sometimes day-to-day means two days and sometimes it can mean five or six days. He’s day-to-day.”
Redick also addressed how James’ body responds at this stage of his career, noting the unpredictability of recovery times. “We obviously want him in the lineup. When we were kind of approaching this stretch and you see the six games in eight nights and two back-to-backs last week, you never know how his body is gonna respond to a game and how his foot is gonna respond,” Redick said. “So it’s not to say I expected him to miss a game, it’s just it wouldn’t have surprised me if he needed a day or two to get his body right. The fact that he had the falls in Denver, he’s trying to ramp up. He wants to be out there and so do we and hopefully he’s back soon.”
Despite James’ absence, the Lakers secured their third consecutive win by defeating the Timberwolves. The team has found success when Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves play without James, holding a 10-2 record under those circumstances this year.
Redick discussed why the team has performed well even without James: “I think when all three of those guys are on the court specifically, again, it goes back to the human element… But there’s a clear pecking order when Luka and AR are on the floor together with guys that are low usage players… And that’s the nature of nearly every Big 3 that’s ever existed. We’re gonna get there… And I know LeBron, he recognizes the importance of having Luka as the engine. All he really wants is to impact winning… We’re gonna get there.”
James remains an important part of both offensive schemes and defensive efforts for Los Angeles despite recent results among their top three players not meeting expectations yet.
In addition to injury concerns, James has recently voiced frustration about inconsistent NBA officiating affecting both himself and his team.