It’s not the same dynamic that James currently faces, because he still is playing at an All-Star caliber level. That puts the onus on James to continue managing his body so that he’s both available and remains one of the NBA’s best players. That also puts the pressure on the Lakers to surround James with a championship-caliber roster.

Even more impressive, the Lakers were without their team leader, star forward LeBron James. James missed his third matchup of the season due to an illness. James’ first two missed games were due to a foot injury,

LeBron James was a late scratch Saturday due to illness. Anthony Davis did suit up for the Lakers' nightcap matchup against Sacramento.