Just a few weeks into the season, the Lakers are already dealing with a number of injuries to key players on their roster. The comeback victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday brought both good and bad news regarding injuries.

At 4:22 in the first quarter, Kevin Durant fouled LeBron James as he was driving to the basket. James seemed to be limping and having trouble bearing weight on his left leg following the play. The injury seemed especially concerning during the game because there didn’t seem to be any impact in that area that could cause an injury. James is getting older, so a serious injury could end his career.

Fortunately, James was able to ignore it and carry on being the player he always was, scoring 32 points on 11-16 shooting and playing a team-high 36 minutes. James talked extensively about what went wrong on that play that unnerved him after the game.

James is playing 35 minutes per game this season, up from 35.5 previous season. To me, that does not appear to be an emphasis on a minute reduction. So, while it appears that James will be fine after his injury last night, it will be something to keep an eye on in the coming games and a reminder of how fragile things are for James and the Lakers. If he gets injured, Los Angeles’ chances of winning the championship this season are jeopardized.

Anthony Davis is the only player on this team that is even remotely as valuable as James. Davis returned for the Lakers’ first NBA in-season tournament game, after missing the most of the second half against the Heat and the game against the Rockets due to a hip spasm.

This season, James is playing 35 minutes per game, up from 35.5 the previous one. That doesn’t seem to emphasise a minute reduction, in my opinion. Hence, even though James’ injury from last night seems to be minor, it will be something to watch out for in the upcoming games and a reminder of how precarious things are for James and the Lakers. Los Angeles’ chances of winning the championship this season are in jeopardy if he sustains an injury.

The only player on this team who is even close to James’ level of value is Anthony Davis.