LeBron James won't make All-NBA this season, not because he doesn't deserve to, but because he missed Tuesday's loss to the Spurs. He won't hit the 65-game mark to make him eligible for end-of-season awards. While that is more of an individual achievement, it could also spell doom for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 41-year-old no longer has to push himself to be available for as many games as possible to extend his All-NBA streak, meaning that he could pull the reins back a bit. Fans will have to wait and see how it affects his approach to the rest of the regular season, and, therefore, Los Angeles' path to the postseason.
Right now, the Lakers are No. 5 in the West, so if the season ended today, they'd earn an automatic playoff berth, but they're only a half-game ahead of the No. 7 Suns.
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but LA probably won't be a real threat in the postseason based on how its roster is constructed. You didn't need to be told that after watching the team play 53 games this season.
While it's normal as a fan to have hope, especially when you have Luka Dončić playing on an MVP level, it will be exceptionally hard for the Lakers to make it out of the West, even if LeBron is at his best. His best isn't what it used to be, though, but it's still pretty good for someone on the other side of 40.
What will LeBron look like for the Lakers to end the season?
There are still about two months left in the regular season, and LeBron certainly won't play every single game between now and April 12. The NBA doesn't like load management, but it's a requirement for someone who has been in the league for 23 seasons.
It goes deeper than that for LeBron, though, as he's on an expiring contract, and the belief is that he won't be a Laker after this season. By no means is this to say that he was only playing for himself before missing his 18th game, but no longer having to push himself to reach All-NBA could backfire on LA a bit.
The Lakers aren't all-in on winning a championship this season; their goal, as evidenced by their lone trade deadline move, has been to ensure future financial flexibility. That doesn't mean they want to throw the towel in, though. It would be special to make a playoff run with Luka and LeBron.
Never say never, but it doesn't look like that will happen. LA could be headed toward another championship season in the near future, though, just not with LeBron.