Pacific Notes: James, Melton, Warriors Youth, Kennard

LeBron James is missing his third straight game for the Lakers tonight as he works his way back from arthritis in his left foot, as well as a left elbow contusion.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin writes (via Twitter) that James went through his pregame shooting routine prior to the Lakers’ matchup against the Wolves and ultimately decided that he needed more time before he’ll be ready to return to action.

McMenamin also notes that, according to coach JJ Redick, James was a participant in the team’s film session on Monday, but he did not take part in the on-court practice (Twitter link).

After the 22-time All-Star missed the first 14 games of the season due to a sciatic nerve issue, James has been quite durable. Prior to the last two absences, he had only sat out four of the team’s previous 48 games.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

• De’Anthony Melton is set to play in his first back-to-back of the season tonight as the Warriors take on the Bulls, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link). Melton played just 20 minutes in last night’s loss to the Jazz in order to have him ready to accomplish this milestone, according to coach Steve Kerr. Melton, who is officially listed as questionable, has scored 20 or more points for the Warriors in four of his last six games.
• The Warriors are an old and expensive team, which is why the team-friendly deals they have players like Moses Moody and Gui Santos on are particularly valuable to the club, Dalton Johnson writes for NBC Sports. In a conversation with Spotrac’s Keith Smith, Johnson outlines how these deals that young players can outplay can be crucial for building sustainable teams around superstars, with Smith pointing to Miles McBride‘s three-year, $13MM extension with the Knicks as another example.
• Luke Kennard‘s elite three-point shooting is transforming the Lakers‘ attack, writes Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times. Kennard is shooting 56.1% from three over the last six games coming into Tuesday’s contest, with the Lakers going 5-and-1 in that span. Nguyen notes that the Lakers were shooting 34.9% from three prior to trading for Kennard, as compared to the 39.2% mark they’ve hit since bringing in the sweet-shooting guard. Kennard, for his part, is grateful to be able to play with playmakers like James and Luka Doncic. “It’s definitely something you think about like, ‘Man, I wish that was me there getting those open looks,'” Kennard said. “But now it’s a reality.”