First and foremost, it needs to be said that missing LeBron James for any duration of time is more than a tough blow for the Los Angeles Lakers. James has been the engine that has kept the team going all year, maintaining brilliant All-NBA level performances throughout the majority of the 2024-25 season.
Shams Charania just broke the news on Twitter/X that LeBron 'is expected to miss at least 1-to-2 weeks with a groin strain.' Charania added, "James will wait for the groin injury to calm down over the next 24 hours and receive another evaluation."
From a glass half-full mentality here, it could have been much worse. It also sounds like there is some optimism about how quickly James can get back within Charania's message of another evaluation being on the horizon. To keep the positive mindset going here, there can also be a 'but' found in the grimmest of moments.
In the case of this situation, that 'but' has to do with Luka Doncic. It would go something along the lines of this: James' injury is going to hurt the Lakers' push for the second seed, but at least JJ Redick will have an opportunity to experiment and get creative with 'Luka ball' and find some new sets or lineups that work well with the Slovenian superstar.
How Lakers can make the most out of James' absence
Redick and James were both loud about wanting Doncic to assert himself upon his arrival to the Lakers. The older Lakers superstar told his younger running mate that the team would fit around him and that Doncic should fit out.
With James, who is a huge part of the offense, being sidelined for the next few games, the challenge for Redick and his players will be to fit around Luka and help create an environment where the five-time All-NBA selection can play his brand of basketball through and through.
The absence of James should actually allow for more offensive freedom for Doncic, who continues to look better and better with each passing game. Austin Reaves should still be able to provide ample support to Luka when the need arises. However, no one should be surprised to see Doncic's usage percentage skyrocket in these next few games.
With returns from Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes hopefully around the corner, Redick will have an opportunity to deploy some combinations that he otherwise may not have implemented with James' presence on the court. The hope would be that the Lakers find a unit or two from this time without LeBron that they can continue to turn to once James is back.
Perhaps a certain lineup combination that is brand-new, or even one that has had limited opportunities, emerges as something that can be used with more regularity due to its success with correlation to how Doncic operates.
These next few games offer an opportunity to find out which players, outside of James, can help the MVP-level talent that Los Angeles has at point guard maximize his production. Much like the leadup to the first Nuggets game of the Luka era, Redick may have some sleepless nights ahead of him.
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