LeBron James’s status uncertain for opening night

LeBron James may miss out on the Cavaliers’ opener against Chicago on Tuesday night with back trouble.

James has not practiced in nearly a week and a half since receiving an anti-inflammatory injection in his back, and the superstar only played in two of Cleveland’s seven preseason games. Now, with his back still not feeling great, James may sit out Cleveland’s Tuesday night opener in Chicago, according to the AP’s Tom Withers.

Coach David Blatt was confident earlier in the week that James would play, but that optimism seems to be waning, as general manager David Griffin floated the possibility that he might be rested in the season opener. That said, the Cavaliers maintain that James is very much on schedule and they’re not worried about his health, and James himself, now 30, seems to understand the importance of holding back a bit so he’s at full strength for the postseason.

“Obviously, anyone who has played the number of games and has the mileage on his back he does, you’ve got to take into consideration how you’re going to manage minutes and how you manage games in order for him to stay as fresh as possible,” Blatt said. “That’s something we’re constantly looking at, constantly talking to him about, too.”

While it would obviously be nice for the Cavaliers to have James for the opener, there’s no need to push him, particularly so early in the season. There’s no reason to panic if the Cavs decide to hold him out a bit longer.