LeBron James, who wore a gray plastic walking boot, a black hooded sweatshirt and a black mask, and Anthony Davis, with a lime green jacket and a bright yellow mask, were hard to ignore during the 111- of the Los Angeles Lakers. 94 defeats at Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
But Lakers goalie Dennis Schroder said that as long as the United States lacks the two stars in uniform, the Lakers need to completely overhaul their approach.
“I think like we used to play with the two of them on the court, now it’s totally the opposite, I think,” Schroder said after the Lakers went on to 18 and never headed against the Suns. “I think we have to move the ball, we have to play with more pace. On the defensive side, we have to be more wacky. And, yes, I mean everyone who comes on the ground has to have confidence in calling down or for impact the game on the defensive side “.
When asked who would be asked for leadership during James’s indefinite absence from a high right ankle sprain and while Davis was out for a minimum of one more week with calf tension and tendinosis in his leg right, Lakers coach Frank Vogel mentioned Schroder.
“Obviously, Dennis Schroder will be the head of the snake with the ball in his hands more, dictating part of the action,” Vogel said after the 27-year-old, acquired in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the off-season, he had 22 points and three assists on Sunday. “But on this team we have a lot of veteran guys who can lead and we encourage our guys to lead all the chairs in the room.”
Included from James’ seat, which was next to the Phoenix Suns Arena bench.
“He tells me he cares about this organization,” Schroder said of James who joined the team’s flight just hours after having an MRI and an x-ray of his ankle. “In my career, I’ve seen people get hurt and not come on a trip, and for him, being the best (one of the best he’s ever played this game) you see him on the bench there, even if he’s hurt, means a lot to me and to the rest [players on this team] too “.
Schroder could be taking the reins on the court for quite some time. Vogel allowed high ankle sprains to take “a while to heal … These are slow recoveries.”
With the NBA’s compact schedule due to COVID-19, even if James had a relatively quick rehabilitation process and missed three to four weeks, it would mean an additional 13 to 16 games without him for a staff that fell to 0-2 when I will not play.
Meanwhile, LA tries to find the silver. Vogel said he was “optimistic” based on how the Lakers competed against the Suns, the No. 2 team in the Western Conference. Schroder went so far as to say that playing without the co-workers is “fantastic for the rest,” because they can “prove to teammates and the organization that they can play.”
And Vogel noted that a free time for a 36-year-old boy playing in his 18th season that began just 71 days after he finished his 17th season might not be bad for James.
“We’re encouraging him to take a mental break and recharge a little mentally, so when he comes back, we’re in a stretch where we can make a push in the playoffs and make noise, obviously going into the playoffs.” Vogel said of James.
The thought of a mentally and physically cool James joining the team may be a comfort to Los Angeles – after all, he led the Lakers to the championship after a 4-and-a-half-month hiatus. last season – but there is still an immediate challenge they will face temporarily.
“We want to play as hard as we can, play the right way and [we’re] he will still come out with victories, “said Montrezl Harrell, the Lakers’ great man.” I just have to put up with it while these guys recover and come back. “