Los Angeles Lakers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (foot, injury management) will play against Denver on Saturday night. He wasn't available for Sunday's All-Star tournament to rest his ailing left foot. But King James was back on the floor for the Lakers' previous two contests, most recently amassing 40 points, eight boards, two steals, and a block in the win over Portland. With Luka Doncic (calf, injury management) still not back to form, James should continue to carry the load offensively for the favorable outing versus the Nuggets, a team that has allowed 115.8 points per contest throughout the 2024-25 campaign.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (calf, injury management) is cleared to suit up for Saturday's encounter with Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. He didn't play in Thursday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers to rest after amassing 14 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists versus Chicago the previous night. More importantly, Doncic logged 33 minutes, his most since arriving in Los Angeles. With Doncic back in the mix, Dorian Finney-Smith will head back to the bench.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) is not listed on the injury report for Saturday's contest against the Denver Nuggets. The 25-year-old looks set to return from a one-game absence. Following foot surgery, Vanderbilt made his season debut only a month ago, so the Lakers didn't want to overwork him when they had a back-to-back scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. Vanderbilt has had a limited role in the rotation, averaging 3.1 points and 5.9 rebounds across 16.1 minutes.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (foot) is probable on the injury report ahead of Saturday's matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. James skipped the All-Star Game due to a foot issue, but he was available for both games as the Lakers continue their season with a back-to-back set this week. Across the two games, James averaged 37.0 minutes, so he appears to be fully ready to try and keep pushing the Lakers up the standings. The Nuggets have dominated the matchup against the Lakers in recent years, and they limited James to 18 points on 41.2 percent shooting in this season's first head-to-head meeting.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (calf) has been listed as probable for Saturday's showdown against the Denver Nuggets. It looks like the Slovenian superstar is ready to rejoin the action after sitting out the second leg of a back-to-back against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night. Doncic has averaged 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists since his move to Los Angeles, with his playing time limited to 26.7 minutes per game. Dorian Finney-Smith, who recorded 10 points, six rebounds, and two steals on Thursday, will likely return to the second unit against the Nuggets if Doncic is cleared for action.