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When LeBron James injured his ankle against the Dallas Mavericks, many didn't expect to see him again until the playoffs. However, the four-time MVP made a speedy recovery and returned to the LA Lakers lineup over the weekend.
In total, LeBron James missed 13 games with this ankle injury. He came off the bench on Sunday against the Chicago Bulls and posted 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes of action.
During a recent appearance on ESPN's "Get Up," Brian Windhorst touched on why LeBron James might have come back early. He feels it is because multiple stars see that there is an opening in the Western Conference.
"Durant, LeBron, Curry and the rest of those Warriors, they smell something. They smell weakness in the Western Conference. Don't confuse all this stuff together for strife, it is a weak conference.
"LeBron is coming back on a bad foot because he smells weakness."
With just a handful of games to go in the regular season, the Lakers sit in ninth place with a record of 37-38.
Do LeBron James and other stars see an opening in the Western Conference?
It might not be the only reason, but Brian Windhorst brings up a valid point. The superstars in the Western Conference should see an opening as the playoffs get ready to begin.
Right now, the top three teams in the West are the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings. All are relatively young teams with very little playoff experience. That being said, teams like the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors will likely see them as teams who could potentially be upset in a seven-game series.
From a competitive standpoint, the Western Conference is wide open. Teams like the Lakers and Clippers have battled injuries all year, and the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks went through complete makeovers at the trade deadline. Looking up and down the standings, there are multiple teams that could get hot and go on a deep run come the postseason.
Just because the stars might smell weakness doesn't mean it's there. The Denver Nuggets are led by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and are healthy for the first time since the bubble. The Grizzlies also have Ja Morant back and will be hungry to go further than they did last year.
With there being so much uncertainty in the Western Conference right now, it could lead to a very interesting opening round of the playoffs.
Guess the Lakers players!
