LeBron remains a man of mystery; Ex-Wolverine Collins is out for the season

Las Vegas − LeBron James was starring in Las Vegas this time last year, the star attraction as he and the Los Angeles Lakers were on the verge of winning the inaugural edition of the NBA Cup.

It seems very different now.

“Personal reasons … he needs some time,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said this week as he detailed why James was missing practice.

“Left foot pain” is the reason the Lakers ruled him out of Friday’s game in Minnesota. There has been trade speculation in recent days, and it’s fair to assume that a team like Golden State would clamor for James if he were available. And he turns 40 in about two weeks.

Whenever James is out, it’s a story. Taking time off for personal reasons is a story. It could mean he is injured. It could mean he’s tired of the Lakers’ struggles in recent weeks. It could mean he just needs a break. It could mean anything. The only thing that is certain is that he won’t play on Friday.

“It’s all very fluid,” Redick said when asked about James’ absence.

James’ no-trade clause is currently the ultimate card in the deck. If James wants to be traded, he will probably be traded. If he doesn’t, he remains a Laker and will continue on a roster that also includes his son Bronny. The Lakers only play two games next week. It’s a nice time for a break when his left foot is a problem and he needs to take some time off due to the rigors of 22 seasons.

In short, nobody knows anything. Except for LeBron, of course.

He’s the oldest player in the league, has set almost every record he’ll ever set, and has more money than he could ever spend. There’s nothing left to prove. He is under contract for next season, but the goal – whether after this season or not – is getting closer and closer.

“To be completely honest, I won’t be playing for that long. I don’t know how many years that is, one year, two years, whatever the case may be,” James said last month. “I’m not playing until the wheels fall off.” I’m not going to be that guy. I’m not going to be the guy that disrespects the game because I just want to be on the floor. That won’t be me.”

The numbers show that the wheels didn’t fall off. His scoring is down (23 points per game, his lowest average since his rookie season), but his rebound and assist numbers are up compared to last season. The only other player this season averaging 23 points, eight rebounds and nine assists per game is Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who is likely the MVP front-runner again. The wheels are fine.

It should be noted that this time of year is the start of the NBA’s crazy season. As of Sunday, 85 players can be traded. Trades are currently the talk of the league behind the scenes as there are some big names, including plenty of speculation surrounding Jimmy Butler’s future in Miami.

James’ presence is still felt in Las Vegas this week as the league meets to finalize the NBA Cup. Near the baggage claim carousels at the airport is a huge advertisement featuring James, promoting his connection to a liquor company. However, he will not be seen on the pitch. And it is not clear when he will be seen again.

Embiid of the 76ers hits the face

Tyrese Haliburton had 32 points and 11 assists and the Indiana Pacers beat Philadelphia 121-107 on Friday night, with the 76ers playing the second half without Joel Embiid after he suffered a blow to the face late in the first half.

Embiid was fighting Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin when he caught a fake forearm and elbow to the bridge of his nose. Embiid collapsed to the floor as play continued upstairs, remaining near the Philadelphia bench and clutching his face.

The team ruled him out early in the second half for an “impact to the right side of the face” and said he would undergo further testing. Embiid played just his sixth game of the season and had 12 points, four rebounds and five assists in 17 1/2 minutes

Miles Bridges returns

The struggling Charlotte Hornets got a boost to their frontcourt on Friday when forward Miles Bridges returned to the lineup Friday night against the Chicago Bulls after missing 10 games with a bruised right knee.

The 6-foot-11 former Michigan State star had not played since a loss at Brooklyn on Nov. 19. He averaged 16 points and 6.5 rebounds. On Friday night, Bridges played 13 minutes and scored six points on 3-of-10 shooting. The Hornets lost 96-81.

TCU’s Collins breaks his foot

TCU’s leading scorer, Frankie Collins, will miss the rest of the season because of a broken bone in his left foot, the school announced Friday.

The 6-foot-10 senior guard, who is in his first season at TCU after playing the last two at Arizona State, is scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday in Dallas. Collins played one season at Michigan before transferring to Arizona State.

Collins leads the Horned Frogs (5-4) with 11.2 points and 4.4 assists per game. He also averages 4.4 rebounds per game.

TCU said Collins broke his foot in the first half of last Sunday’s 83-74 loss to Vanderbilt. He still played 35 minutes and finished with six points and seven assists.

Collins played 31 games as a freshman for Michigan’s NCAA Sweet 16 team in 2021-22. He started all 32 games for the Sun Devils last season and averaged 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

A medical redshirt could potentially give him another college season.

Michigan Region Schedule

Men

Friday

Breaking News

Dellupodisabato

LeBron remains a man of mystery; Ex-Wolverine Collins is out for the season

Leave a Reply Cancel reply