The Los Angeles Lakers want to ensure LeBron James is available later in the season as the team heads toward the playoffs and plan to focus more on his playing time.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that sources told ESPN that all parties want to limit James’ playing time until the team can return to full health. The long-term goal is for him to reach the finish line with the wheels intact. “
The team was absolutely right to do so.
The Lakers are like James. Even at 38 years old, he is still an elite player in the NBA and the best ever. In the first month of this season, James averaged 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.
He’s also averaging 33.8 minutes per game, and team officials hope to get that number down to between 28-30.
Unfortunately, key injuries early in the Lakers’ season interrupted head coach Darvin Ham’s ability to manage James’ time on the court the way he wanted. With those affected players quickly returned to the lineup, the team will have the opportunity to more effectively manage the time and duration James is on the court.
LeBron averaged four points per game below his season average in last year’s playoffs and never really took control of a game like he has so many times in his career.
This is not an indictment on the player, nor is it a reflection on the veteran, but rather the result of a tendon injury that affects his explosiveness on the court and his availability when the team needs him most.
Los Angeles doesn’t want a repeat of the past, and neither do fans who want to see the greatest player of this generation perform at his best when the stakes are highest.
Look for the Lakers to adjust James’ playing time as soon as their early depth issues are addressed so that when the team reaches the playoffs, they can build on last year’s Western Conference Finals performance and potentially compete for James’ fifth spot. World Champion and the Lakers’ 18th championship.