The Los Angeles Lakers have nine games left in the season and sit in ninth place in the Western Conference with a record of 41 wins and 32 losses. They currently sit in the play-in slot, which puts them just outside of the first round, but they don't have a full shot at seeding the playoffs.
But LeBron James is already thinking about the postseason. After a rocky start, the Lakers have won five straight, seven of their last 10 games, and have the third-highest winning percentage (.750) in the NBA since early February. The 39-year-old four-time MVP has seen his workload ease as he ages. This season marks the second time since the 2017-18 season that he has played in 60 or more regular season games.
With that in mind, James knows where the Lakers are in their playoff chase, but he also understands his body and his value to the Lakers when healthy.
James spoke via ESPN on Wednesday about his focus on his health rather than where the Lakers finish in the Western Conference playoffs. “If I wasn’t healthy or [anywhere] Even if it's close to healthy, it's not good for our ball club anyway. That's not good for me. ”
James has been plagued by an ankle injury this season, which caused him to miss Tuesday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He returned in Wednesday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies, recording his fourth triple-double of the season (23 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists).
This is a “strategic” approach that James and the Lakers are taking considering his health and the playoffs looming. He said if he had only focused on moving up the standings and getting out of the play-ins, he probably would have pushed himself to play Tuesday night.
James has never missed a playoff game due to injury in his career, as long as his team participated in the postseason.
A playoff berth seems likely, but it's still not guaranteed for the Lakers. If they qualify, James will be given a break. Until that is determined, he will need to perform close to 100% on the nights he is on the floor to ensure postseason basketball.
“Obviously I'm just trying to figure out and make sure I understand how my ankles and feet feel,” James said. “But obviously to be very smart about it. We're in the situation we're in right now, but health is always the most important thing for our ball club. It's not just one individual. But for me, injuries I am careful about myself and know my health when it comes to my ankle and how it reacts and how it has changed over the past few years, so I always monitor it closely. doing. ”
