LA can sit LeBron or face ‘beasts’ Suns in 1st round

LeBron James is listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s game at Dallas with an injured left ankle he suffered in Sunday’s loss at New Orleans.

He’s been playing through a sore left knee and the Lakers are in danger of missing the play-in tournament and postseason altogether after being preseason favorites to reach the finals.

So maybe they should shut James down for the rest of the season, take it on the chin as a failed year and start figuring out how to improve for next year, or have James keep playing and hope the return of Anthony Davis can lead to getting the eighth seed.

What would be the reward in that? Playing the NBA-best Phoenix Suns (61-14) in the first round.

“The only thing they’re getting is the eighth seed,” ESPN NBA senior writer Brian Windhorst said on Tuesday’s First Take. “If they somehow get that, they get the Suns, who are beasts. Beasts. I respect LeBron and AD. I just don’t see how you’re beating them four out of seven.”

The Suns have not only beaten the Lakers (31-43) six straight times dating back to last year’s playoffs, but took them apart in their last matchup, 140-111, on March 13 at Footprint Center.

This was minus Chris Paul, who was out with a fractured right thumb, and Cam Johnson (quad). Paul has since returned and posted a double-double in his two games back while Johnson missed his 12th straight game Sunday against Philadelphia.

The Lakers were without Davis (foot), who hasn’t played since Feb. 16. He is also listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s game but is getting closer to returning.

While the Suns have had their way with the Lakers as of late, Davis created a stir when saying before that embarrassing loss in Phoenix his groin injury was the difference in last year’s first-round Los Angeles lost in six games after leading, 2-1.

As he told Lakers beat reporters, the Suns “got away with one.”

Davis scored 34 points in Games 2 and 3 the Lakers won, but hyperextended his knee in Game 3. He then injured his groin in compensating for the knee in Game 4, missed Game 5 and re-aggravated his groin early in Game 6, and never returned.

Suns All-Star Devin Booker responded by saying, “It’s just all the ‘ifs’ and if ‘if ’ was a fifth, we’d all be drunk.”

Paul played through a shoulder injury he suffered in Game 1 and wasn’t really himself the entire series, but because of how Davis performed against the Suns last season, that fuels the argument the Lakers could stun Phoenix in the playoffs if he plays.

The eight-time All-Star posted a monster double-double of 42 points and 12 rebounds to go along with five assists, three blocks, and three steals in a 123-110 home win over Phoenix near the end of the 2020-21 regular season.

This was without James, who was recovering from an ankle injury.

Shaquille O’Neal recently predicted on his podcast the Lakers will beat the Suns in the playoffs, but he even doubts Los Angeles will even make the play-in to even have an opportunity to play for the eighth seed.

Currently a 10th seed, the Lakers are just a half-game ahead of San Antonio and have the second-toughest remaining schedule going into Tuesday’s game according to Tankathon.com.

The Spurs (31-44) have the fifth toughest.