LeBron James and Rui Hachimura’s absence from the Los Angeles Lakers could be a problem as the season winds down. Both have missed their last few games, which could complicate things for the Lakers with the playoffs not too far away.
The Lakers would certainly love to have them back as soon as possible, but they shouldn’t rush them back and make their current injuries worse. For that, head coach JJ Redick revealed some unfortunate news about both of them.
LeBron James And Rui Hachimura “Very Unlikely”
Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Redick revealed that it’s “very unlikely” that the Lakers’ schedule from here on out will allow James or Hachimura to prepare themselves when they come back from their injuries.
JJ Redick say it’s “very unlikely” the schedule will allow the Lakers to have a stay ready game or contact practice for LeBron James and Rui Hachimura to participate in prior to returning to game action
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 18, 2025
This might be a little confusing—just look at the reaction to McMenamin’s tweet—but what this means is that because of the Lakers’ remaining schedule, James and Hachimura may not be able to take the proper time to ramp themselves back up into game shape when they return.
From now until the playoffs, the Lakers have a few back-to-backs and only have one two-day absence. This means that James and Hachimura will be thrown to the wolves. It could get even more problematic if this results in the Lakers having to win a play-in game or two to get into the playoffs.
Unfortunately, this is what comes with having James on the team, despite the fact that he is arguably still the Lakers’ best player. Even though James has still managed to be among the best players in the NBA as he’s defied age, Father Time still manages to affect James to some degree.
Lakers Need To Be Healthy
Even at the level James still plays at, he is still more susceptible to injuries because of his age. Since joining the Lakers, he has gotten hurt, which has kept him out for extended periods.
Luckily, his current injury should not be too much of a problem for the 2024-25 Lakers season. However, they need to be a little careful with him since their intentions are to win their 18th title as a franchise.
And while James may return to form, there’s no telling if Hachimura will do the same. Hachimura may not be the same caliber of player, but he is an important part of the Lakers rotation.
For teams to win titles, they need a clean bill of health. There’s no telling if that will be the Lakers.