Lakers star LeBron James gave everyone a scare earlier this season when he sat out a considerable amount of time with a groin strain. But, despite returning to the court, some within the organization aren't convinced he is fully healed.
According to a report from The Athletic, Los Angeles is "a little concerned" about James. The report noted the team was also slow to bring James back out of fear he wouldn't recover properly.
"The Lakers are privately a little concerned about LeBron. Is he fully healed from the groin strain that cost him a career-worst 18 games? Is he going to pick up his intensity and propel this team back into the playoffs, as he did last year in Cleveland?"
The Lakers (28-29) struggled without James in the lineup and will return to action after the All-Star break three games out of a playoff spot.
"(I'm) looking forward to the second half of the season," James said after the All-Star Game, via the Los Angeles Times, "looking forward to seeing what we can do to get back in this playoff race. That's my only mindset.
"That's the only thing that's going to happen in my mental space for these next two months, pretty much on how I can get this team playing the type of level of basketball we were playing before my injury."
James is averaging 26.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists in his first season in Los Angeles. He's shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from 3-point range.
