Lakers' LeBron James 'Moving in the Right Direction' in Knee Injury Rehab, Vogel Says

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is "moving in the right direction" in his rehab of a left knee injury, per head coach Frank Vogel to reporters on Wednesday.

James has missed his last three games due to what the NBA injury report classifies as left knee soreness/effusion. He will also miss his team's Wednesday home game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

"A swollen knee occurs when excess fluid accumulates in or around your knee joint," writes the Mayo Clinic. "Your doctor might refer to this condition as an effusion in your knee joint. Some people call this condition 'water on the knee.'"

The Lakers have struggled without the 37-year-old James, going 5-10 this season in his absences and 19-17 otherwise. The four-time NBA MVP has averaged 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists.

James previously missed eight games in November with an abdominal strain. That injury didn't throw him off his exceptional individual form, however, and James was playing at an MVP level before suffering the knee injury.

Per Basketball-Reference, James posted 32.5 points on 54.1 percent shooting, 9.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks from Dec. 19 to Jan. 25.

Without James of late, the Lakers have lost three straight heading into Portland. The 24-27 Lakers currently sit ninth in the Western Conference.

Malik Monk has replaced James in the starting lineup. He's averaged 22.0 points over his last three games, including 33 in a 129-121 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.