LeBron James 'Not Getting Better', NBA Expert Says, Walton Expecting Good News

LeBron James has now missed 11 games since sustaining the groin strain during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 127-101 win over the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. It was initially suggested that it was a minor injury, but it has now been three weeks since the small forward last played.

The Lakers have struggled in James’ absence and are currently 3-8 in their last 11 games, but coach Luke Walton will be glad his team ended their two-game losing streak by recording a 107-100 win over the Chicago Bulls — a game they were expected to win.

The NBA’s second most successful franchise was fourth in the Western Conference before James suffered the injury, but their struggles without their main player have seen them drop to eighth with their lowest point coming when they lost to NBA’s worst team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Sunday.

James is set to be re-evaluated on Wednesday and coach Walton is expecting “good news” after the forward took part in half-court shooting and passing drills on Tuesday. It was the first time since the injury he took part in a lengthy session leading to expectations that he will get the all clear from the medical staff.

“He didn’t do the up-and-down stuff,” Walton said Tuesday, as quoted by the Los Angeles Times. “He did the half-court shooting and passing.”

“I’m optimistic about life, so that would be covered in that,” the Lakers coach added. “I think we’ll get good news back.”

“He does a lot of that when we’re not here,” Walton said when asked about the running James has been doing during his recovery process. “I don’t know the amount of running he’s doing. I just know he seems to be in good spirits. He’s got another test tomorrow to get some more information on it.”

The coach’s latest update will be music to the ears of everyone connected to the Lakers, especially after ESPN’s Brian Windhorst indicated that the injury was not getting better and that the forward faced another couple of weeks on the sidelines.

The NBA expert was quite certain that the news will not be good and the forward could miss the upcoming games against Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors. Windhorst believes he could return for their home games against Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns on Jan. 24 and Jan. 27 respectively.

“LeBron is not getting that much better,” he said on ESPN’s “Hoop Collective” podcast, as transcribed by the Irish Mirror. “I know they say they’re going to re-evaluate him this week. I have been told, as of last week, they were thinking it was still going to be at least two weeks.”

“He’s going to miss more games, although he could play now and if it gets dire I suppose he could get back. They play the Bulls tomorrow at home… they really should win that," he said.

“LeBron’s not going to play in that game. Technically he’s going to be re-evaluated on Wednesday and I suppose it’s possible he could be cleared,” he added. “I don’t think that he will be.”