Where do the Lakers go from here? On Saturday afternoon, their near worst-case basketball scenario unfolded as LeBron James clutched at his ankle after a loose-ball scramble. The MVP candidate tied his shoes tighter as he usually does when an ankle turns, and he stayed in the game long enough to drain a 3-pointer. But that was it. James left at the top of the second quarter and didn’t return. He later returned a negative X-ray with an official diagnosis of a high-ankle sprain.
I can’t play doctor but for James to leave the game, we know he’s seriously hurt. His tossing a chair in frustration on his way to the locker room was the first tell. The history of high-ankle sprain injuries tells us he could be out for a long time, even as long as weeks-to-months. Even if he heals quicker, recent injury management decisions a la Anthony Davis show us James could be sidelined on the longer side of what we can expect. For now, the team is saying he’s out indefinitely.
At 28-14, the Lakers are percentage points behind the Phoenix Suns for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and 2.5 games behind the Utah Jazz for the top spot. But there’s hardly any separation between L.A. and the rest of the playoff field. The Clippers trail them by two games, and the Nuggets and Trail Blazers are a half-game behind them. There are 30 games left in the Lakers’ season. Can they maintain a top-4 seed come playoff time? Can they afford to lose homecourt advantage in the later stages of the postseason? Does it even matter?
A lot of those hypotheticals are impossible to answer but as the roster is currently constructed, the Lakers are not built to be without their two superstars. In the first quarter without James on Saturday, L.A. scored a season-low 12 points in 12 minutes. The team is a roster of role players thriving off the drives of one of the game’s all-time greats. So, now what?
Over time, Frank Vogel will make adjustments he couldn’t have on the fly after losing James mid-game. Dennis Schroder will be used as a more aggressive play-maker. Kyle Kuzma will see more looks from range. Talen Horten-Tucker is sure to see more opportunities as a slasher. Maybe Montrezl Harrell will move into the starting lineup. There’s a wealth of opportunity for Lakers rotation players (and their fantasy managers.)
But it won’t be easy. Or pretty. Or simple. James and Davis are at the heart of everything the Lakers do, obviously. Let’s see who steps up. [[ad:athena]]
Now, let’s talk about all five games from Saturday night.
Hawks 99, Lakers 94
The great
John Collins — Collins had a season-high 16 rebounds and three steals in the win over Los Angeles. He was the game’s best player with 27 points and three blocks, too.
The good
Montrezl Harrell — Harrell led all Lakers scorers with 23 points and 11 rebounds. He made an impressive 10-of-13 shots and added an assist and a block.
Dennis Schroder — With James sidelined, Schroder stepped up to score 16 points on just 4-of-15 shooting with seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and six turnovers. He’ll have to adjust to keep L.A. afloat without James or Anthony Davis.
Trae Young — Young’s poor shooting returned but he did score 14 points with 11 assists. His 6-of-18 field goals were tough, and he missed all seven of his 3-point attempts, but it was enough to keep Atlanta on top.
Sixers 125, Kings 109
The great
Tobias Harris — Without Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons, Harris took over as the do-it-all forward Sixers fans hoped he could be on a max contract. He scored 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting (two 3-pointers) with 11 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and no turnovers in 30 minutes.
Shake Milton — With so much opportunity in the backcourt without Simmons or Seth Curry, Milton took advantage of his spot-start. He scored 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting (one 3-pointer, 9-of-11 free-throws), and added two assists, one rebound, and one steal.
Buddy Hield — Hield knocked down seven 3-pointers for a team-high 25 points with five rebounds, three assists, and just two turnovers in 34 minutes.
The good
Danny Green — Green knocked down 4-of-6 3-pointers for 18 points, three rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
De’Aaron Fox — Fox scored 16 points but it came on just 5-of-14 shooting and four misses out of four 3-point attempts. He did add six assists, four rebounds, and just two turnovers, though.
Grizzlies 111, Warriors 103
The great
Jonas Valanciunas — Valanciunas led the way for Memphis, scoring 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting with 15 rebounds, one assist, and two blocks.
The good
Jordan Poole — Poole scored 20 or more points for the third straight game and he’s scored 12 makes from deep in those three games combined. Poole’s 26 on Saturday came on 10-of-21 shooting including three, 3-pointers against the Grizzlies, and he added five assists, four rebounds, and one steal.
Andrew Wiggins — Wiggins only made 4-of-14 shots but finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Draymond Green — Green played through a turned ankle that he called painful more than harmful. He finished with seven points on 2-of-4 shooting with eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.
Noteworthy
Ja Morant — Morant’s shooting struggles returned as he made just 5-of-20 shots and one 3-pointer for 14 points. He did add eight assists, one steal, and just three turnovers in 35 minutes.
Editor’s Note: Drafting is only half the battle! Get an edge on your competition with our Season Tools that are packed with rankings, projections, a trade evaluator, start/sit tools and much more. And don’t forget to use promo code HOOPS10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
Bucks 120, Spurs 113
The great
DeMar DeRozan — DeRozan returned for his first game in nine days (personal) and double-doubled with 22 points and 13 assists. He made 8-of-18 shots including a 3-pointer with three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal, too.
Lonnie Walker IV — Walker followed up a DNP-CD with a career-high 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting including five 3-pointers with six rebounds, one assist, and two steals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo — Giannis scored 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting including a pair of 3-pointers with a season-high 15 assists, eight rebounds, and just three turnovers in 34 minutes.
Donte DiVincenzo — DiVincezo double-doubled off 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting with a game-high 13 rebounds, three assists, and three steals. He’s averaging 7.7 rebounds in seven March games.
The good
Keldon Johnson — Johnson scored 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting (two made 3-pointers) with eight rebounds, four assists, and no turnovers in 34 minutes.
Khris Middleton — Middleton’s 23 points came on 9-of-16 shooting including three, 3-pointers. He also added five rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
Clippers 125, Hornets 98
The great
Miles Bridges — Bridges scored 21 points off the bench on 7-of-11 shooting with five made 3-pointers, four assists, three rebounds, one block, and one turnover.
Paul George — George scored a team-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting including four 3-pointers with 10 assists, five rebounds, and no turnovers in 33 minutes.
Kawhi Leonard — Leonard’s 17 points came on 6-of-13 shooting though he missed all four of his 3-point attempts. He added four assists, three rebounds, and four steals without a turnover in 31 minutes.
The good
Gordon Hayward — Hayward scored 17 points on 5-of-12 shooting with three, 3-pointers, eight rebounds, four assists, and four turnovers in 30 minutes.
Noteworthy
Terry Rozier — Rozier scored just eight points on 2-of-10 shooting with five assists, three rebounds, and two turnovers. He left the game in the third quarter with a hip contusion and didn’t return. Monitor this going forward.
LaMelo Ball — Ball scored 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, and three steals. He left the game with a wrist injury that you should check up on before the Hornets’ next game.
