The Los Angeles Lakers headed into the 2019 NBA All-Star break on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture. Much of that was considered due to the team's inability to win games when LeBron James was sidelined. James suffered a groin injury back on Christmas Day 2018 against the Golden State Warriors. That kept him away for a good stretch of the first part of his team's season. Now, there is news that the LA Lakers may have concerns of LeBron James' health for the rest of the season. That comes not long after the team made a final offer to try to get Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans.

The news also arrives soon after the NBA All-Star Game.

Lakers' playoff odds shrank, first in LeBron's career?

The Los Angeles Lakers were doing well, earlier in the season, but that was when LeBron James was healthy. The team surged up the Western Conference standings and were among the top four teams there. However, after his injury on Dec. 25, the team dropped a number of games when LeBron sat out to heal. He ultimately returned just in time for the last bunch of games before the All-Star Game. The team is still without second-year guard Lonzo Ball, who could be out until early March. They've also got 25 games left to play on their schedule.

The Lakers are just a game below .500, at the moment, with a 28-29.

They'll host the Houston Rockets on Thursday with a red-hot scorer in James Harden. With 25 games left to play, getting each and every win will be critical. Right now, LA is three spots behind the in-state rival Clippers for the eighth and final playoff spot. Just above the LA Lakers are the Sacramento Kings, who are a game behind the Clips.

There was a lot of hype and "hope" coming into the new season for the Los Angeles Lakers. That said, their season is far from over, but as of this report, they've got just a 26 percent chance to get into the postseason. It could be the first season in a long time that a team led by James fails to make the playoffs.

Lakers 'privately concerned' about LeBron

A new report has surfaced since the 2019 NBA All-Star Game. LeBron James didn't win MVP in the game, but he helped lead his team to a comeback from down as much as 20 points. While that game doesn't necessarily feature a lot of defense or intense competition, it still seemed as if he's regaining his form. Not so fast, says a new source, though.

Bleacher Report cites a report via Joe Vardon of The Athletic which says the LA Lakers are "privately a bit concerned" over LeBron's health moving forward. Their concerns extend to the team's playoff hopes, which will hang on the health of Lonzo and LeBron. They seem to mostly hang on LeBron's abilities to help the team snag one of those final playoff spots in the tough West.

He's averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists since returning to action for the Lakers. He also scored 19 points in the All-Star Game.

Vardon mentioned, in his report, that the Lakers are slightly worried that LeBron's groin injury hasn't fully healed. In addition, the Lakers are contemplating if LeBron James will be able to "pick up his intensity and propel this team back into the playoffs." Part of that comes from their view of how he's played on the defensive side of things, with the way rookie Trae Young blew by him several times in the Hawks' game.

Some people believe that "Father Time" may have caught up to James. That said, he still has plenty to offer the team offensively.

As mentioned, the LA Lakers have just 25 games left in their season in order to pull into one of the final playoff spots. Ideally, they'd probably prefer that No. 7 spot which would help them avoid a first-round matchup against the reigning champions. If they made the playoffs today as the No. 7 seed, they'd draw a first-round battle against the Denver Nuggets.

Since the team is back in action on Thursday, it should be interesting to see how they fare against a fellow Western contender like the Houston Rockets. If they fail to show they can hang with some of the best in the West, the team could very well decide to shut LeBron down. That would be another first in his career, and possibly even a tipping point towards what moves they make this summer.