LeBron James to Return from Groin Injury Thursday vs. Clippers

LeBron James will return to the Los Angeles Lakers' lineup for Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, according to his team.

Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes originally reported the news.

James hasn't played since the Lakers' Christmas Day win over the Golden State Warriors, as he's been dealing with a groin strain.

The Lakers have struggled mightily in James' absence. According to NBA.com, they've had a 3.2 net rating with the four-time MVP on the court. Their net rating is minus-2.8 without him.

His injury presented a chance for Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart to show they deserve to be foundational pieces. None of them has capitalized on the opportunity, and Ball is out with a sprained ankle.

After beating the Warriors, Los Angeles sat fourth in the Western Conference at 20-14. Since then, the Lakers have dropped 11 of their last 17 games and are ninth in the West, two games back of the Los Angeles Clippers.

L.A. still has more than enough time to catch the Clippers, but simply reaching the playoffs won't be considered a success in James' first year. The Lakers will want to make a push for a top-four seed.

With James healthy, Los Angeles might have a shot at overtaking the Portland Trail Blazers, who are 5.5 games up in the standings.