Tense wait for Lakers on LeBron James injury
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has described the process behind their evaluation of the latest injury to star player LeBron James as a “marathon approach”.
James, who picked up an injury to his troubled ankle during his team’s win against the Memphis Grizzlies has since been sidelined, with no clear date in mind as to his return.
Having spent 20 games sidelined last season for an injury to the same ankle, there were fears that it was the same problem, though Vogel has since dismissed this: “Same ankle. Different spot. Different injury,” he was quoted by Silver Screen and Roll.
“He just got evaluated by the medical team (and) there was some soreness, we’re taking the marathon approach of holding him out.”
“We’re going to see how he feels. He’s just day-to-day and he’ll get evaluated again tomorrow, see what the soreness is like and make a decision then,” the Lakers head coach added.
Relief for James but caution is a priority
The 36-year-old who felt his ankle tweak on the court had bent down to fix his sneakers and commented after the game: “Just wanted to take a moment on the floor, just hopefully it wasn’t getting worse.
“I had an opportunity just to tie my shoe again and see if I’m able to go, I was able to continue to go.
“The first thing I was thinking to myself was not again,” James said, referring to the injury that kept him out for a long period last season.
“Because obviously, it was almost similar, but not the same kind of play. Guy falls into my leg and there’s nothing you can do about it and I couldn’t get my leg out of there in time.”
It has been somewhat of a mixed start to the season for the Lakers, with the side only recording two wins so far, against the Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs.
Making sure that James is back for the rest of the season will be a priority for the coaching staff, however, they will know that reintroducing him before he is ready could compound the problem and even lead to a recurrence of his previous problem.