After Wednesday's loss to the Denver Nuggets dropped the Lakers 6.5 games out of a playoff spot with 17 to play, coach Luke Walton said Thursday that James' workload will be monitored the rest of the season. That was followed by Saturday's news that forward Brandon Ingram is expected to miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder and that point guard Lonzo Ball, sidelined by a Grade 3 ankle sprain since January 19, will reportedly not return this season.
With two starters out and LeBron's minutes being managed, what does the rest of the regular season hold for the Lakers? And how will that set up a crucial summer as they try to build a championship contender around James? Let's take a look.