This is the week many NBA fans have been waiting all summer for. The NBA season is about to begin! After a wild and somewhat dramatic offseason, players, coaches, fans, and analyst are excited to begin the NBA journey. With games starting on Tuesday, there will be many stories and news about players, injuries, and who might not be ready for the start of the season. Some of the NBA's biggest stars, young and old might not be ready for the start of the season.
Many players have sat out the preseason to rest up for the regular season, but that might not have been enough.
LeBron injury saga
Opening Night is a huge deal around the NBA, as players can show how much better they got and how much chemistry they established with their new teammates in games that count in the win-loss column. Missing opening night due to injury is also a big deal, as many teams will be missing vital parts to their scheme.
LeBron James is one of the players who have questions about his availability for opening night. James has been dealing with an ankle injury throughout training camp and the preseason.
He played in one preseason game against the Bulls, but it looked like it was still limiting his ability to explode to the basket during that game.
Teammate J.R Smith isn't worried about James missing opening night telling reporters after practice, "He's going to go, trust me on that. I don't care what he's got to do, he's going to play."
Head Coach Tyronn Lue isn't so sure about James playing, telling reporters, "I mean, it just depends on how he feels after today, but I really don't know."
Many are banking on James to play, simply because he isn't your average human and he loves the game. It will be interesting to see if he does miss this game, as it is against the Celtics and former teammate Kyrie Irving.
Lonzo a go?
Another player who has questions about his availability for opening night is rookie Lonzo Ball. Ball has also been dealing with an ankle injury throughout the preseason. Ball has a lot of buzz, some of it being from his father Lavar Ball and some of it coming from his potential in the NBA. Ball played exceptionally well in the Summer League and is the face of the L.A Lakers, his hometown team.
Ball practiced in full Monday and said he feels ready to go for their Thursday opener. He did admit he had a few turnovers and missed some passes but emphasized that being ready for Thursday is all that matters to him. Lonzo is looking to start of his era with the Lakers in the right direction, but this ankle injury might delay his debut.
The NBA season is long so having a player rush back from injury and possibly re-injuring it again is too much of a risk for some players. LeBron James is focused on the playoff push more than the regular season games, but Ball needs all the play time he can get so he can get used to the speed of the NBA. Opening night is coming soon and hopefully, these two stars are ready to play.