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After missing two games with a left adductor strain, LeBron James could return to the Los Angeles Lakers as soon as Friday against the Detroit Pistons. The team upgraded his status to “questionable,” after being listed as “doubtful” with a left adductor strain going into the games that he missed.
Before the Lakers made the change, coach Darvin Ham told reporters that James looked “great” at Wednesday’s no-contact practice, via the Orange County Register‘s Kyle Goon.
James last took the court in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 9, and Los Angeles hasn’t played since Sunday’s win against the Brooklyn Nets. If you are a Lakers optimist, you might see this rare break in the schedule as an opportunity to recalibrate — the team is 3-10, with the worst offense in the NBA.
According to Lakers guard Dennis Schroder, who is expected to make his season debut against Detroit, James has stepped up in the leadership department while sidelined.
“He didn’t really say too much at the beginning of the season,” Schroder told reporters, via nba.com’s Mark Medina. “But I think the last two games in video sessions and in practice, he has been vocal to everyone on what we want to do and try to accomplish. That’s what we need from him.”
Center Thomas Bryant is also expected to make his season debut against the Pistons, per Ham.
If the two teams based in Los Angeles are using “questionable” to mean “almost definitely playing,” then the Schedule Gods seem to be punishing Detroit for some reason. Hours before the Clippers’ game against the Pistons on Thursday, Kawhi Leonard was upgraded to “questionable,” too.
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