Stephen A. Smith says this is the worst season of James' career. There is a time and a place for it.
The Lakers announced on Friday that James will not play in the final two games of the season because of an ankle injury.
The San Antonio Spurs will finish ahead of the Lakers for the 10th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference after the Lakers lost to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
James has missed five of the Lakers last six games because of his ankle injury.
In 56 games, James will average 30.3 points, which is second in the league behind the Philadelphia 76ers. James cannot claim the scoring title while he is inactive because his average will dip below that of Embiid. A player has to play at least 58 games to be eligible.
It was the most points James has averaged since his third season in the league, when he scored 31.4 points per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The scoring average is the highest it has ever been for a player.
The L.A. team went just 25-31 in the games James played, the first time since his first year in the league that the team finished with a sub-.500 record.
When asked about James' season last month, Lakers coach Frank Vogel said that he was beyond what a team's best player can do.
I don't think anyone can say anything other than that he has given everything he has to the team.
It is the second time in four years that James has been out of the lineup with an injury as the Lakers failed to make the playoffs.
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