Lakers' Redick 'Hopeful' LeBron James, Rui Hachimura Will Return from Injury vs. Bulls
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James could have a chance to return to the team's lineup Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.
According to NBA reporter Mark Medina, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Thursday night that he is "hopeful" both James and forward Rui Hachimura will be able to play in the team's next game Saturday night.
James has been out of action since Los Angeles' 111-101 loss to the Boston Celtics on March 8 because of a groin strain.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported one to two weeks was considered the timetable for his return. Following a 131-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 14, head coach JJ Redick told reporters LeBron was "very close" to suiting back up.
The Lakers were riding high earlier in the month. An eight-game winning streak catapulted them to second place in the Western Conference.
The Lakers lost three games in a row after James got injured during the loss to Boston, but they followed that up with three consecutive wins.
On Thursday, L.A. fell 118-89 to the Milwaukee Bucks, as superstar guard Luka Dončić also sat out the game due to ankle injury management.
Overall, the Lakers are in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 43-26 record.
Despite being the NBA's oldest player at 40 years of age, James has been his dominant self when healthy this season, averaging 25.0 points, 8.5 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game in 58 contests.
LeBron's absence has been a reminder of how the Lakers, despite pulling off a great trade, sacrificed some depth when they acquired Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks. They fall off precipitously whenever James or Dončić are unavailable.
If the Lakers can get LeBron back healthy for the stretch run and pair him with Dončić, they are a legitimate threat to win the Western Conference and reach the NBA Finals.
