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Report: LeBron James expected to miss at least 1-to-2 weeks

Report: LeBron James expected to miss at least 1-to-2 weeks

NBA DraftKings Network News Featured

Published:

By: Alex Hunter

LeBron James suffered a strained groin late in Saturday’s loss to the Celtics and ESPN’s Shams Charania is reporting that James is expected to miss at least 1-to-2 weeks with the strained groin.

This news comes at a terrible time, as the Lakers have been one of the best teams in the NBA since the All-Star break with an 8-2 record. During this span, James has been tremendous, averaging 28.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game with a 32.2% usage rate.

The Lakers are also currently without Rui Hachimura (knee) and with he and James sidelined, Luka Doncic should handle a godly role. In the 71 minutes Doncic has played as a Laker with both James and Hachimura off the court, Doncic’s usage has skyrocketed 14.5 percentage points to an absurd 49%. Austin Reaves should also see a larger usage rate, while Dalton Knecht should see increased playing time, possibly as the replacement starter for James.

The Lakers surprisingly are 3-1 with James inactive this season and with Doncic at the helm, there is hope that Los Angeles can continue its winning ways with James sidelined. Currently, the Lakers are the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, but they are only 1.5 games ahead of the Grizzlies for that spot.

Alex Hunter
Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player and sports handicapper, who has been a proud member of the DraftKings Network team since 2020. He is a data-driven analyst, who earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has been in the sports content business for nearly a decade, covering the NBA, NFL and PGA TOUR. Alex is a diehard Boston Celtics fan, who loves to be on the golf course when he isn’t grinding lineups or producing content. For all of Alex’s work or if you need any lineup advice, be sure to follow him @Hunta512 on X.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.