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LeBron James finally has a targeted date for his return. After sitting out the entirety of March, James will reportedly look to make his return for the final three games of the season.
For the LA Lakers (36-37), this means that the team will have to be without the four-time MVP until at least April 5, when they face the LA Clippers. While the update is a positive one in that there's now a clear picture of when James will return, they will also have to compete for the next few weeks without him.
With six games on the schedule between now and the targeted April 5 return, the Lakers will have to continue to fight for their spot in the West. As the team sits in 10th place, tied with the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers find themselves just one game out of seventh place.
The LA Lakers run without LeBron James
While LeBron James’ absence has undoubtedly been a sore spot for the team, they have managed to improve their standing in the Western Conference. Throughout the month of arch, the team has posted a 7-4 record as they moved themselves into Play-In contention.
Despite that, the team faces a slippery slope in regard to their postseason hopes. Although tenth and seventh place in the West are separated by just half a game, the difference between tenth and 13th place is also half a game.
Given that by the time LeBron James returns, the Lakers may have already sealed their fate depending on how the next few weeks play out in his absence. According to Tankathon’s strength of schedule calculator, the Lakers have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league.
Of their nine remaining games, five of them will be played against teams with below-.500 records. With that said, however, the team will play two pivotal games against the Utah Jazz, who sit just half a game behind them in the standings. In addition, they’ll face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves and OKC Thunder, both of who are fighting for their own playoff pot.
In the meantime, LeBron James will continue to work towards a return to the floor. According to Shams Charania, James has begun on-court activities in preparation for his return.
Whether or not the LA Lakers are able to string together wins in the meantime, only time will tell.
Guess the Lakers players!
