LeBron James collided with Patrick Beverley early in the first quarter on Wednesday, and that moment put James’ immediate health at risk. He played through what appeared to be significant pain in the moment, and after the fact, it was revealed that he had aggravated a pre-existing groin injury, though not the one that sidelined him for over a month last season. The remedy for that injury is rest, and according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, members of the organization had hoped to convince James to sit a few games and return to 100 percent. 

James, who had been recovering from that previous injury, said of the collision with Beverley, “it kind of set me right back to where I was five days ago.” This injury, which is on the right side of his groin, contributed to him missing Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. 

However, for the time being, it seems as though James will not miss time. He is expected to travel to Portland with the Lakers and is on track to play in Saturday’s game against the Trail Blazers, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. It should be noted, though, that the Lakers are playing a back-to-back this weekend. If James plays against the Blazers, he may still sit out against the Dallas Mavericks. 

The Lakers have lost four consecutive games, and injuries have been at the center of that streak. James and Anthony Davis each missed a game in that span, and both were hobbled in the Christmas Day loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. 

While he played through the pain on Wednesday, he was visibly bothered by what happened. James missed his first seven field-goal attempts before ultimately getting hot and closing the game with 23 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. His lack of explosiveness was apparent on the game’s final meaningful play, as Beverley blocked James’ potential game-tying 3-pointer off of him, securing the victory for the Clippers. 

Fortunately for the Lakers, the schedule is about to get a bit easier. Once they get through this back-to-back, the Lakers play four consecutive home games against opponents not currently in the postseason picture, so if James needs time off, they should be able to hold down the fort while he recovers. 

Considering the groin injury that ruined James’ 2018-19 season, the Lakers seemingly got off easy here. They may not be as fortunate if James pushes the issue. If rest is his best chance at a speedy recovery, then rest should be the priority until he returns to full strength.