LeBron James Cleared to Play vs. Pelicans

There haven’t been too many days where LeBron James isn’t on the Los Angeles Lakers’ injury report. That was true leading up to their Sunday night matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, as King James was questionable with a knee injury. Much like the rest of this season, James was cleared to play and is in the starting lineup against the Pels.

As noted by Kyle Goon, Avery Bradley remains out.

Though LeBron James was officially listed as “questionable” in the earlier game notes, Frank Vogel confirms he’s in. Avery Bradley remains out today against the Pelicans.

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) February 28, 2022

James has been the Lakers’ best player this season. The 18-time All-Star leads the team in scoring, averaging 28.9 points per game, while also pacing the team in advanced categories including Win Shares and Value Over Replacement Player, per Basketball-Reference.

Though, that hasn’t been enough to help the Lakers win games, as they sit five games below .500, good enough for ninth in the Western Conference.

The betting market likes their chances to improve their position in the standings tonight. After opening as -1 favorites, they were bought up to -2.5 before tip-off. Check out FanDuel Sportsbook for the latest.