LeBron James Out-Could He Miss The Rest Of The Season?

Dennis Clausen examines if LeBron James could sit out the rest of the 2022-23 season.

LeBron James has dominated the National Basketball Association since entering the league straight from high school. He's won numerous awards and has led several teams to an NBA Championship. During the 2022-23 season, the Akron, Ohio, native continued to get it done, despite battling several nagging ailments along the way.

However, James' latest issue, a right foot injury, is expected to keep him out indefinitely. So what does this mean, and will we see James back on the court this season? Is there a chance he won't return?

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LeBron James Injury Update

James injured his right foot during the third quarter of Sunday's comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks. It was a tense few seconds after the multi-time MVP clutched his foot after suffering what was deemed a "non-contact injury." The concern grew to greater heights after he was overheard saying, "I heard a pop." Situations like this are never good, as many were concerned that an Achilles tear could be the culprit.

Yet, after James gathered himself, he tightened his shoe and finished the game, totaling 26 points, eight rebounds, one block, and one steal. Head coach Darvin Ham appeared optimistic while speaking postgame, stating the 38-year-old was "good."

However, that couldn't be further from the case, with The Athletic's Shams Charania reporting that James would "miss an extended period of time" because of the foot injury. Charania later added that the all-time scoring leader would "require multiple opinions."

LeBron James' Season Recap

Despite James' advanced NBA age, he's still productive. In 47 appearances, he's averaged 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists. While his three-point percentage has regressed, that's never been his strong suit. James was also named an All-Star captain while recently passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time scoring leader.

That said, despite some high-level accomplishments, the year has been a rough one for the 2003 No. 1 overall pick. He's battled left foot soreness for nearly the entire season, so much so that he routinely carried some type of injury designation heading into almost all of his games over the last few months.

Anthony Davis, who was playing at an MVP level, suffered a foot injury of his own, forcing him to miss over a month. At the same time, Russell Westbrook, who was on the block since last season, was finally traded ahead of the deadline. However, after Westbrook accepted a buyout from the Utah Jazz, he returned to Los Angeles by signing with the Clippers.

Will LeBron James Be Back This Season?

It's no secret that James goes to great lengths to care for his body. Because of this, the veteran has played at an elite level for two decades. However, there comes a time when every player must call it a career. But then again, this is LeBron James we are talking about, arguably the greatest basketball player ever.

It's reasonable to assume that he could have at least a few more years left in his tank. Yet, he'll have to be cautious moving ahead, especially if he hopes to play with at least one of his two sons down the line. In the weeks ahead, NBA fans will likely hear daily updates regarding James' health. But is he guaranteed to come back? If so, is it a good idea? That depends on who you ask. Los Angeles currently sits on a 29-33 record, good for 12th place in the Western Conference.

As a result, the Lakers will need to scratch and claw to make the postseason. Fortunately, they have a relatively favorable schedule on the horizon, so there's a chance they could sneak into the playoffs. But if LA doesn't do anything meaningful while James is out, it’s not unrealistic to believe he could be shut down for the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign. If that's the case, fantasy managers can expect Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell to be the primary offensive contributors, with guys like Jarred Vanderbilt, Dennis Schroder, Malik Beasley, and Austin Reaves potentially getting more involved.

While Davis, Russell, Vanderbilt and Beasley are owned across most leagues, guys like Reaves, Schroder, and even Lonnie Walker IV could end up having some fantasy value as waiver wire pick ups or streamers in the final weeks of the season.

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