The Los Angeles Lakers may only need to survive for a few more weeks without the services of LeBron James.
James, the Lakers superstar, is on track for a return to the lineup in mid-November, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on Monday. McMenamin noted during an appearance on “NBA Today” that James is progressing in the right direction with his sciatica issue.
“We’re still in the range of about three more weeks before he would be targeting a return,” McMenamin said. “I have been told by multiple sources over the last several days that his rehab and all of the process to get back to that return date is moving in the right direction. There is good vibes around him.”
Set to turn 41 years old in December, James has not played at all for the Lakers this season due his battle with sciatica on his right side. The 21-time NBA All-Star has missed three games thus far and could still miss another 10-12 games beyond that assuming a mid-November return.
Ultimately, McMenamin’s report signals good news for James and the Lakers. Some others have been slightly more pessimistic about James’ potential return date, and it was already plenty concerning that James has reportedly been dealing with his sciatica problem for months now.
While Lakers are also currently without fellow star Luka Doncic for the next week or so, they got a 51-point masterpiece from Austin Reaves on Sunday night to earn the victory over the Sacramento Kings. If the team can simply tread water until James and Doncic are both back in the lineup, they should be in a competitive position for the rest of the year.
