The Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as one of the league’s most intriguing teams since the trade deadline. Luka Doncic joined the Lakers, who now have a 40-23 record and are fourth in the Western Conference. When LeBron James and his squad were at their best, they went on an eight-game winning streak and finished in second place.
However, the team has had to deal with their hero’s multiple injuries. The team’s most recent setback was James’ groin injury. Preliminary assessments indicate that he will likely miss at least one to two weeks of play. The only player who can now lead the squad on both sides of the floor is Doncic.
On Thursday, former NBA star Gordon Hayward appeared as a guest on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back,” where he spoke highly of the playoff potential of the Lakers. According to the one-time All-Star, Los Angeles could be a problem against opposing teams when their dynamic duo is healthy.
“If LeBron and Luka can stay healthy, I don’t think anyone wants to see them in a seven game series, especially in the playoffs where the game slows down and those two are arguably some of — if not, the best players in the world in the halfcourt with the ball in their hands and in the playoffs, too,” Hayward said. “That’s a different feel.”
Are LeBron & Luka Doncic the scariest duo in the NBA entering the playoffs? 👀@gordonhayward weighed in and gave his take on the matter.
“I don’t think anyone wants to see LeBron & Luka in a seven game series.”@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/y10kVvTCQ7
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 13, 2025
Doncic and James have worked together to push the Lakers to their full potential, particularly during the postseason. They have an opportunity to guarantee a postseason berth in one of the top four Western Conference spots.
When will James return for the Los Angeles Lakers?
There are only a few weeks left in the season and the Los Angeles Lakers need all the help they can get from everyone. That includes stars like LeBron James, who’s dealing with a groin injury. However, many are curious when James will be back in action for the team.
His agent, Rich Paul, recently appeared at “The Pat McAfee” and talked about the potential return of the four-time champion. According to the CEO of Klutch Sports, there isn’t any ideal timetable for his return to action.
“I think you have to manage it. Obviously you see the reports that are out there and you have to pay attention to LeBron in terms of his postgame interview. He knows his body better than anybody. So we kind of have to follow him there. But look, he’s played a lot of basketball… I won’t put a timetable on it, I’ll let LeBron decide what’s to be done there. He has a great trainer and medical staff with the Lakers and Mike Mancias leads that for him. I’ll just be lockstep with those guys,” Paul said.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
