LeBron James Says Injury-Riddled Lakers Have ‘Zero Room for Error’

Los Angeles fell to the No. 13 spot in the Western Conference after its latest loss.

It’s been another lackluster season for the Lakers, and injuries are again a prominent issue that LeBron James addressed after his squad’s latest loss. The star forward is well aware that his team has no room for error given current circumstances.

“We’re definitely a ball club with zero room for error,” James said Wednesday night after a 116–111 loss to the Kings, per All Lakers. “… We are limited with bodies. We played pretty much almost everybody tonight, just getting everybody a look.”

The most significant Laker currently sidelined is Anthony Davis, who has been out for over a month with a right foot injury. Lonnie Walker IV (knee) and Austin Reaves (hamstring) are also unavailable due to injuries. Los Angeles’s latest loss knocks the team down to the No. 13 spot in the Western Conference with a 20–25 record.

• Get your seats to Los Angeles Lakers games with SI Tickets

James has been shouldering most of the load for the Lakers, averaging 29.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. He’s also averaging 36.3 minutes per game at age 38, something that has weighed on Lakers coach Darvin Ham. 

“I feel bad about that,” Ham said about playing James for 37 minutes against Sacramento, per ESPN. “He’s playing at an amazing level, but we can’t run him in the ground. That was one of my main goals coming into the season.”

Getting healthy would be nice for the banged-up Lakers, but even if healthy, it won’t be an easy task getting into the Western Conference postseason.