At the tender age of 37, LeBron James is still an efficient, all-around scoring and passing machine. He might not take over every other game the way he used to, willing whatever team he’s on to victory, but he’s still a special player. It’s a shame, then, that his services are wasted on a squad as dreadful and seemingly hopeless as the Lakers. But that’s the way the cookie crumbles … er, taco? You know, Los Angeles? Can tacos even crumble?
After a short rest from a nagging knee injury that gave James a little over half a week of reprieve, the 2022 All-Star captain makes his return against the Rockets (+6.5 underdogs) on Wednesday night.
Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets Odds
Spread: Lakers -6.5 (-112)
Moneyline: Lakers (-290), Rockets (+225)
Over/Under: 234.5 (-110)
LeBron James Totals: 30.5 points, 5.5 assists, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 threes
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#NBA #Lakers – LeBron James (knee) to play Wednesday.
— Action Labs (@ActionLabs_HQ) March 9, 2022
Let this notion remain abundantly clear: The Lakers are 28-36, in ninth place in the Western Conference, and six games behind the eighth-seeded Clippers. With a (mostly) healthy LeBron James–a player once synonymous with the NBA Finals in the 2010s. We’re pioneering into new, frightening territory, folks.
L.A. should blow out the Rockets, one of the NBA’s worst teams. But then again, the Lakers have proven capable of letting anyone hang around this year. That’s with James, with the currently-injured Anthony Davis and with a hollow shell of Russell Westbrook in the fold. They can lose to anyone because this isn’t a cohesive team with any semblance of consistent chemistry. Houston might be a slouch, but they upset the Grizzlies on Sunday night while LeBron was resting and pushed the Jazz to overtime only a few days before.
The Rockets are not going to lay down because LeBron came to town. If anything, like with much of the Lakers’ opposition this season, it’s fair to suspect Houston eyes the purple and gold the way a vulture spots roadkill in the desert. They’re picking this carcass clean, regardless of whether LeBron has anything to say about it.
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