Lakers will assess LeBron James on day of Clippers game - Walton

Los Angeles, January 30: The Los Angeles Lakers will wait to see how LeBron James feels on the day of the Los Angeles Clippers game before determining if he can return, head coach Luke Walton has said.

James has not featured since the Christmas Day win over the Golden State Warriors but the Lakers superstar took part in full-contact scrimmages on Monday (January 28).

He was only able to watch from courtside as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers 121-105 on Tuesday (January 29), though reports have suggested four-time MVP James could be back on the court to face the Clippers on Thursday (January 31).

However, Walton insisted the team will make a last assessment on James.

Asked whether he was viewing Wednesday's practice as a final test for James, Walton told reporters: "No, we're looking at it as we're going to practice again.

"We'll do some full-court scrimmaging again, see how he feels.

Although the Lakers were unable to recover from a slow start, Luke says he’s proud of them for fighting back and competing. pic.twitter.com/jlLzqBHVFw

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 30, 2019

"No matter what happens, the decision won't be made tomorrow [Wednesday]. It will be about how he feels later that night and into what he feels like the next day when he wakes up, more importantly.

"So, not a final test, just another day of seeing if he's ready yet."