The Los Angeles Lakers announced that LeBron James (right hip contusion, left foot arthritis) is available, while Marcus Smart (right hip contusion), Jaxson Hayes (back soreness) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) are out on Thursday night against the Chicago Bulls.
The Lakers had won the previous three games when James was out, including the last two over high-caliber playoff teams in the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves.
This has led to some discussion discussion about whether the Lakers are a better team without LeBron as they are 14-7 when he sits and that record is even better when both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves suit up as well.
Regardless, if the Lakers want to make a postseason run, they will need James in uniform and clicking with Doncic and Reaves, and that will be the case against Chicago.
Unfortunately, some other players won’t be suiting up as Smart, Hayes and Kleber are all out. This is a tough blow for the Lakers as their defense has been much improved recently and Smart is a catalyst for that. He sets the tone on the defensive side and has regularly come up with huge, momentum swinging plays. His energy is infectious and he also operates as a secondary ball-handler to help ease the pressure off Doncic and Reaves.
With Smart out, Jake LaRavia is likely to step into the starting lineup to be the team’s primary defender. While he has struggled shooting, LaRavia has done an excellent job at doing the dirty work and he will need to kick that up another notch with Smart out. Luke Kennard will likely see an uptick in minutes as well while JJ Redick could also turn to someone like Adou Thiero or Dalton Knecht for an extra boost.
The Lakers will also be without Hayes and Kleber for a second straight contest due to back injuries. That leaves L.A. shorthanded in the frontcourt behind Deandre Ayton, likely going small at times with Drew Timme also potentially playing a role.
The Lakers have a chance to win their fourth straight game and seventh in their last eight, but can’t afford to take the Bulls lightly. Chicago has won three of their last five games after going winless in the month of February and have some dangerous pieces in Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, who is coming off a 41-point night.
JJ Redick encouraged by Lakers’ recent defensive improvement
The defense of the Lakers has been improving as of late and has put out back-to-back excellent performances against two top-tier offense in the Knicks and Timberwolves. And head coach JJ Redick is encouraged by what the Lakers have shown on that end.
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