The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 131-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets, marking their fourth consecutive defeat. The team, led by JJ Redick, entered the game without its two biggest stars, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, making a win seem unlikely from the start. However, the Lakers’ primary concern remains when “The King” will return to action. Amid the uncertainty, Charles Barkley made a striking statement about the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Initially, it was estimated that James would miss one to two weeks due to a left groin strain sustained against the Celtics. However, NBA insider Shams Charania recently reported that LeBron is expected to miss an additional week due to the injury.
Since James’ absence, the Lakers have been winless in their last three games against the Nets, Bucks, and Nuggets. In this context, Barkley shared his thoughts about James’ status for the remainder of the season.
Barkley expressed skepticism about the Lakers’ narrative regarding James’ rehabilitation and suggested the star might not return this season. “He wasn’t going to play anyway. LeBron is out for probably the rest of the season,” Barkley declared on TNT’s Inside the NBA.
“I don’t think he’s coming back. We don’t have to ask his agent, and he stayed in New York because it’s New York, and he didn’t want to go to Milwaukee because it’s Milwaukee,” he continued. “That’s why he flew back home”.
Barkley dismisses Lakers’ strategy
The former NBA star also questioned the Lakers’ claims that James is being rested to manage the team’s grueling schedule of six games in eight days. “LeBron’s going to get healthy for the Playoffs, that’s the best situation for the Lakers,” Barkley noted. “But c’mon, stop acting like six games in eight days is something. C’mon man, every team plays a lot of games, stop it”.
Lakers feel LeBron’s absence on both ends
LeBron’s absence has created a significant defensive gap in the Lakers’ starting lineup. Luka Doncic led the scoring effort with 41 points in the loss to the Bucks, but the defensive struggles without James have been evident.
In addition to LeBron, the Lakers are dealing with a string of injuries. Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber, and Gabe Vincent are all sidelined, leaving the team in a tough spot during the final stretch of the regular season.