The Los Angeles Lakers were rolling. They had the best record in the NBA since Jan. 15, and were less than 48 hours removed from a victory over the 41-23 New York Knicks that seemingly solidified their place as one of the Association's elite teams.
Unfortunately, that momentum ground to a sudden halt when Lakers superstar LeBron James went down with a groin injury during a 111-101 loss to the Boston Celtics.
James had posted 22 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists, and two offensive boards through 35 minutes against the Celtics. It was yet another display of the remarkable production he's mustered during his 22nd NBA season.
Unfortunately, Shams Charania of ESPN has reported that James could miss as many as two weeks of action due to the groin strain.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss at least 1-to-2 weeks with a groin strain, sources tell ESPN. James will wait for the groin injury to calm down over the next 24 hours and receive another evaluation. pic.twitter.com/17mWxsaXN3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 9, 2025
With James out, the Lakers now have one realistic focus: Survive a grueling stretch of games until he's ready to return and get the team back on track.
Lakers must prioritize system and integration without LeBron James
The Lakers are about embark on one of the most brutal stretches of the 2024-25 regular season. They'll play six games in the next seven days, taking on the Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, the Nuggets again, and then the Bucks once more for good measure.
Two days later, the Lakers will play four games in a period of seven days, including a back-to-back against the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls.
Thankfully, the timeline that Charania provided suggests James should return by the Lakers' Mar. 24 game against the Orlando Magic. In that scenario, Los Angeles would play seven games without James before he makes his way back into the rotation.
Unfortunately, five of those seven games will be played against teams on pace to make the playoffs or Play-In Tournament.
With this in mind, there's a clear directive the Lakers should embrace: Prioritize the system and the integration of new players. It may not result in a dominant record, and it could even lead Los Angeles to unfortunate losses, but the long-term benefits could be profound.
That includes the ever-important task of developing chemistry between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, who project to lead the Lakers beyond the James era.
Perhaps Los Angeles will find a way to navigate this overwhelmingly challenging stretch and maintain their momentum without James. The loss to the Brooklyn Nets included a silver lining, after all, as the role players stepped up in a major way.
No matter what the results prove to be, focusing on what the team can control about its immediate future will produce a more important win.