LeBron James is set to return to the court Monday night against the Phoenix Suns, and while that might not come as a surprise, it’s still a welcome sight for a Lakers team that’s been managing its superstar with extra care. After sitting out Sunday’s game due to what the team labeled as “left foot injury management,” James is off the injury report - a clear signal he’s good to go.
Head coach JJ Redick explained before Sunday’s win over the Pelicans that the decision to rest LeBron was a precaution. The 39-year-old has been dealing with a lingering foot issue, and the team is taking no chances with the NBA’s oldest active player. Redick also made it clear the plan is to eventually have James available for both ends of back-to-backs, but for now, it’s about playing the long game with a player who’s still performing at an elite level in Year 22.
Let’s not forget, James made history again last season, earning his 21st consecutive All-NBA selection - a record that keeps stretching with every passing year. No other player in league history has more than 15 All-NBA nods. But with the league’s 65-game minimum rule now in effect for postseason awards eligibility, James can only afford to miss three more games the rest of the season if he wants to stay in the running.
While LeBron is back, Marcus Smart remains sidelined. The veteran guard will miss his third straight game Monday, though there’s a slight shift in the way the team is framing it - from “lower back spasms” to “lower back injury management.”
Redick sounded optimistic about Smart’s return, describing his status as day-to-day and saying, “We expect him to be back soon. It’s not a long-term thing.”
There was a brief scare with starting center Deandre Ayton, who appeared to tweak his right knee - the same one that caused him to miss time last week - late in Sunday’s game. But with the Lakers comfortably ahead at the time, Ayton wasn’t pushed to play through it, and he’s not listed on the injury report for Monday. That’s a good sign for a team that’s finally starting to build some consistency with its rotation.
Sunday’s win over New Orleans wasn’t exactly a highlight reel, but it did mark the Lakers’ seventh straight victory, pushing them to 15-4 on the season. And while the scoreboard tells one story, the chemistry on the bench told another - and maybe just as important - narrative.
Midway through the third quarter, with the Lakers’ lead shrinking, backup big man Maxi Kleber had a moment he’d probably like back - an airballed layup on an and-one attempt that left everyone, including his teammates, laughing in disbelief. “We were just caught off guard,” Gabe Vincent said.
“We all thought he was going to dunk it… Shot a fade-away layup. Crazy.”
The locker room camaraderie showed up immediately after. The Lakers rattled off an 8-0 run, flipping the momentum and reminding everyone that this group isn’t just winning - they’re having fun doing it.
“It’s very important,” Kleber said when asked about the team’s vibe. “It’s a long season.
Obviously, this was a funny play. But it could be serious, where we have a bad stretch, or a bad game, and it’s important that we stick together as a team.
And that we can laugh about things and just work it out and not take it too hard. Because we know we’re good.
And I think it helps to regain focus quickly.”
That blend of confidence and chemistry is showing up on the stat sheet, too. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves combined for 67 points and 15 assists in the win, becoming just the fourth duo in the last 50 years to each score 30 or more in three straight games.
Reaves, who continues to thrive as both a scorer and a playmaker, praised Doncic’s impact: “The gravity that he has on the court, it’s impossible to guard him any certain way because [of] his ability to pass the ball, his unselfishness and his shot-making ability. Then, once you blitz him, then you have advantage basketball and we like our chances.”
Before tip-off Sunday, Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego reflected on nearly becoming the Lakers’ head coach this past offseason. Redick ultimately landed the job, but Borrego - a lifelong Lakers fan - called the interview process “surreal” and “like a dream.”
Now, with Redick at the helm, LeBron back in the lineup, and the team clicking on both ends, the Lakers are starting to look like a serious problem for the rest of the West. The pieces are coming together - and more importantly, they’re enjoying the ride.