JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
LeBron James injury report: Will the Lakers star play vs Grizzlies amid shaky form and locker room 'disconnect'?
LeBron James' status remains uncertain as the Lakers face Grizzlies amidst team struggles and internal discord. Get the latest on his injury and team dynamics here!
The NBA season of 2023-24 advances as the Memphis Grizzlies are set up to fight against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference battle at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California at 10:00 PM ET on Friday, January 5.
In the second meet between Memphis and Los Angeles this season, the Lakers are setting their sights on a third consecutive victory over the Grizzlies.
Earlier in November, as 6.5-point home favorites, the Lakers thrashed the Grizzlies with 134-107, a total of 225.5 points.
Is LeBron's injury fueling the Lakers' struggles?
LeBron James' injury status for this game has been disclosed by the Los Angeles Lakers. James has been marked as questionable due to left ankle peroneal tendinopathy, according to the Lakers.
James frequently features on the injury report, even for games he eventually partakes in, making this a significant progression to monitor.
Recent times have been tough for the Lakers, with the team suffering losses in nine out of their last 12 games, instigating speculation about internal discord.
The Athletic's Shams Charania and Jovan Buha recently reported that following the Lakers' ninth defeat in 12 games, concerns over the season's trajectory have grown both within and outside the organization. 
They detailed growing strains between Head Coach Darvin Ham and the Lakers' locker room, as per six sources privy to the situation.
Anonymity was requested by the sources to ensure open conversation. They credited Ham's recent drastic changes in rotation and starting lineup for causing an irregular rhythm for several team players and breeding discontent.
ALSO READ: Giannis Antetokounmpo says he thinks about beating the Indiana Pacers before having s*x
Navigating the growing disconnect: Lakers' coach Darvin Ham and players at odds
On Thursday, Shams Charania and Jovan Buha from The Athletic shared the information they got from six sources who have direct insights into the situation.
They're referring to the growing "deepening disconnect" between Darvin Ham, the Lakers head coach, and the Lakers players.
Their report provides details that Ham's severe adjustments on the rotation and the starting lineup led to the inconsistent rhythm of several roster players.
For instance, Ham chose to start the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 23 with LeBron James, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Anthony Davis.
The insiders mentioned in their report that multiple insiders viewed this move as puzzling. However, the Lakers did win that game with James scoring 40 points.
Reaves spoke to the news reporters sharing his concerns, as per ESPN. He stated, "We're losing."
He added, "Naturally, the vibe should be off. It would concern me if the vibe was okay given our recent performance. We've not been playing to our satisfaction, and until we improve, the atmosphere should be gloomy. We have to start winning."
This is the second year Ham has been coaching the Lakers. After a rocky start last season with a 2-10 record, Los Angeles recovered and finished with a 43-39 win-loss record, making it to the conference finals.
Sadly, the Lakers aren't looking strong enough to return to the conference finals.
Ham shared his viewpoint following Wednesday's defeat, as reported by ESPN. He mentioned, "It's a mixed bag right now. Our execution has not been satisfactory."
He added, "The opposing team played harder, and more physically, and they outclassed us tonight. So currently, everything seems a bit off."
ALSO READ: What happened to Ricky Rubio and why did he announce his retirement?
You May Like This
Latest Articles
