The Los Angeles Lakers will test their mettle with a clash against the conference’s giants, the Minnesota Timberwolves. While they managed to win the previous game against the Milwaukee Bucks without LeBron James, they could enter the latest matchup with a total of 6 players on the injury report.

As tensions flared around James’ presence, the last game added clouds of uncertainty with Anthony Davis‘ shoulder injury. With that, head coach Darvin Ham shares that the two team leaders’ presence will be decided near the tip-off. James is currently dealing with an ankle issue, forcing him to be on the team’s injury report for the majority of the season. On the other hand, Davis incurred an injury after attempting a take foul against a driving Giannis Antetokounmpo.

With LeBron James and Davis, Christian Wood, Gabe Vincent, Colin Castleton and Jarred Vanderbilt remain out of action with no timetable to mark their return.

LeBron James utilized the All Star break to tend medical procedures on his ankle, one that resurfaced during a Golden State Warriors game. Even though James has managed to lead the Lakers on most nights, he exited the recent game against the Sacramento Kings due to ankle issues nearly 4 minutes before the game.

Moreover, Davis’ shoulder injury comes during his ongoing battle with an achilles issue. Even though Davis’s shoulder prompted him to skip a few minutes, he managed to finish off the game. However, Davis shared that he was unable to move his shoulder at certain instances, forcing the Lakers to proceed cautiously.

LeBron James and Davis will play

Anthony Davis and LeBron James featured heavily on Lakers injury reports this year, but have managed a healthy stretch of presence on court throughout the 2023-24. Regardless, their status before the Wolves game is probably the most intense yet, mostly due to the preceding events. Luckily, the two were cleared to battle with the Wolves before the tip-off.

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Nevertheless, the Lakers enter the game with the pressure of their playoff aspirations, and still missing 4 key players in their rotation. The game could prove Davis with a breather, as the Wolves will miss Karl-Anthony Towns due to a meniscus injury and Rudy Gobert due to a game-day sidelining due to hamstring concerns. However, the Lakers will still need to put their best step forward in light of Naz Reid’s newfound shooting touch from the three and Timberwolves’ hunger to reclaim the top berth in West.