LeBron James out vs. Nuggets with left ankle soreness

Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty ImagesLeBron James will miss his ninth game of the season on Monday against the Nuggets in Denver due to left ankle soreness. James had originally been listed as probable with left ankle soreness, then was downgraded to questionable on Monday morning before being ruled out entirely before tip-off.

The left ankle soreness has plagued him throughout recent weeks and cost him a number of games. James has played in 21 of the last 25 games but three of those absences has been credited to left ankle soreness.

So, while in one sense it’s not great that this injury has lingered over the last month-and-a-half, it also isn’t one that has particularly slowed LeBron…