LeBron James, Anthony Davis probable, Gabe Vincent upgraded to doubtful vs. Rockets
The Lakers will have their two key stars ready for their matchup vs. the Rockets and Gabe Vincent is doubtful to play, but not officially ruled out of the contest.
Health has alluded the Lakers throughout this season.
LeBron James missed a recent Lakers matchup versus the Kings due to an illness and Anthony Davis was ruled out with an ankle sprain against the Blazers.
They both played in the team's most recent win versus the Hawks, but will the two stars suit up with the Lakers beginning a two-game road trip?
So far, the answer is leaning toward a yes, as both players are listed as probable to play in L.A.'s first matchup of the season against Houston.
Lakers Injury Report for tomorrow’s game vs. the Rockets. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are probable to play, but Gabe Vincent is doubtful. pic.twitter.com/rxP7bdZ6ME
— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) January 4, 2025
In other good injury news, the Lakers have a chance of a Gabe Vincent return, with the backup guard being listed as doubtful instead of outright being ruled out.
Vincent has been dealing with an oblique strain he suffered during the team’s matchup versus the Kings and has missed the last three games.
Before L.A.'s game against Atlanta, head coach JJ Redick expressed optimism about Vincent's return during this road trip.
With just two games away from home, the Rockets on Sunday and the Mavericks on Tuesday, hopefully, we will see Vincent back by their following game in Dallas at the latest.
Despite missed games by their most prominent stars and key rotation players, the Lakers have been on a roll.
Los Angeles is currently on a two-game winning streak, have won seven of their last 10 and have sole position of the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
With LeBron and AD ready to go and Vincent returning sooner rather than later, this team can continue stacking wins during a soft January schedule.
With the NBA trade deadline nearing, the time is now to get healthy and allow the franchise to evaluate the talent on the roster and see if they need to make another trade. They’ve already made a pleasant move, acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton in a deal that surprised many around the NBA.
While this deal along with health being enough to make the Lakers contenders might feel like fanatic optimism, keep in mind that teams have gone on runs in recent years as lower seeds.
The Lakers made the Western Conference Finals back in 2023 as the seventh seed and in 2024, the Dallas Mavericks made the NBA Finals as the fifth seed.
The postseason, however, is still a ways away. For now, the Lakers will see how they stack up against a very good Houston Rockets team with a healthy LeBron and AD ready to suit up on Sunday.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.