LeBron James Return to Lakers May Not Be As Soon as Initially Thought

When will the 20-time All-Star be back on the hardwood?

Dec 6, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) passes the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

On Friday night, the Los Angeles Lakers looked utterly out of sorts without their offensive leader, 20-time All-NBA honoree power forward LeBron James.

The league's oldest active player, who turns 40 in 16 days, missed his second consecutive game with a sore left foot.

First-year Los Angeles head coach J.J. Redick simply said "no" when asked by reporters if he knew when the four-time Finals MVP would be back in his lineup, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register.

Although L.A. couldn't get much cooking during its low-scoring loss to Minnesota, at least Austin Reaves looked pretty darn good in his first game back since incurring a pelvic contusion during the Lakers' 101-93 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 29. Against Minnesota on Friday night, Reaves scored 18 points on 6-of-16 shooting from the floor (4-of-8 from deep) and 2-of-2 shooting from the foul line, grabbed six rebounds and passed for five assists.

Price writes that, ahead of the game, Redick raved about what a returning Reaves would bring to L.A.'s roster.

“He’s one of our best players and he’s able to provide us with some thrust and some pace in the halfcourt,” Redick said. “Another playmaker, another ball handler. You need multiple ball handlers on the floor anytime you play the Timberwolves because of their wing defenders and their pressure. And then, spiritually, he’s a competitor. I’m looking forward to having him back in the lineup.”

Los Angeles went a middling 2-3 without the 6-foot-5 Oklahoma product. Per Price, the Lakers posted a 103.8 offensive rating, or points scored per 100 possessions, sans Reaves. That number represents the NBA's third-worst such rating in those five games. With Reaves in the lineup for their first 19 contests of the 2024-25 season, Los Angeles notched a far better 115.5 offensive rating.

“For us, we have to be cognizant as we play more and more games, just the cumulative effect of playing a lot minutes,” Redick reflected following a Wednesday practice, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “And Sunday, being banged up with the foot thing, it felt like a good opportunity for him to get some rest.”

Should James be back in the fold for the club's clash Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies, it will have been eight days between bouts for the 6-foot-9 frontcourt standout. Woike observes that the four-time league MVP would have 13 days off, however, should wait until Los Angeles heads north to square off against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday in the Golden 1 Center.

Elsewhere in Friday night's game, All-NBA Lakers star center Anthony Davis led Los Angeles in the loss with a 23-point, 11-rebound double-double. All-NBA Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 23 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 shooting from the charity stripe. All-Star power forward Julius Randle had 21 points. Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert notched a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double, while small forward Jaden McDaniels (18 points) and reigning Sixth Man of the Year center/power forward Naz Reid (10 points) each also scored in double digits.

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