Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James played just 29 minutes in the team’s season opener against the Denver Nuggets, sparking discussion about head coach Davon Hamm’s minute limit. It has since been reported that the Lakers are not limiting James’ playing time to 28-30 minutes, but are using this as a guideline that can be adjusted as needed.
That will be needed in the second game of the season against the Phoenix Suns. Entering the fourth and final quarter, facing a 72-84 deficit, James played all 12 minutes – he played a total of 35 minutes that night – and helped the Lakers win 100-95, the team’s new First win of the season. It immediately dispelled the idea of a one-minute limit, but was still the talk after the game.
Ham talked about the decision to play James the entire fourth quarter, giving him 30 minutes, and what led him to believe it would benefit the Lakers after a slow start.
“I mean, I thought we wished we had dragged our feet for most of the first half and things weren’t going anywhere and we weren’t shooting, especially from three,” Ham said. “He had that spirit, that intensity of carrying the team on his shoulders, and I had the timeout. So I went to him and I said, how do we feel? What do we want to do? He answered my question. , you also saw the results.
“So we took a couple timeouts to catch our breath, but you know, having said that, when you’re competitive, you’re going to be the greatest of all time on the court, like that. It’s just hard to deal with a situation like this. Sit back, but obviously, the recovery process starts now. You’ll get the day you need tomorrow and then come back and play again on Saturday. Ready to get in the bag, but I just tip my hat to him. He always brings us Come on surprise. He cares. I have concerns. That’s why you see the type of stat line he has. Even in the 21st grade, he gives everything for his team. I just hope a lot of the young pros here are Watching and seeing what he’s doing. From off-the-field pre-game preparation, game impact, post-game recovery, and his own personal training to make sure his body is not just functioning properly, but functioning at a high level.”
Sometimes, coaches have to know their stars and trust them to know their limits. Especially a player like James, who may be the most concerned about his health of all NBA players. James talked about the decision from his perspective.
“He asked me if he could go in the quarter. I looked at the time, the score, what was going on in the game, and it was an easy answer for myself,” James said. “I know how hard I worked to get through the quarterfinals or whatever happens and understand that we’ve definitely got a system in place. But tonight required me to come out of the woodwork today. Coach Hamm was cool. … … He was able to use that wisely to rest himself and rest the team, and I felt really fresh coming into the game. … Coach trusts me and I have to go out there and prove it.”
James’ playing time looks set to be a talking point throughout the season, but Ham seems ready to handle the questions while making sure James stays as healthy as possible.
Hamm believes playing time will become smaller as team works together
Hamm doesn’t think James will often need to “rescue” the Lakers, as he believes the team’s depth will shine through once the team has time to gel.
“No, I wouldn’t go that far. Once we get more comfortable with each other. I mean, we’re not going to give up offensive rebounds. If guys are taking more three-pointers than they probably are, then he’s probably not I was a guy who played 35 minutes tonight. I mean, that’s a fact of the game. You have to give your team the ball as much as possible. And you definitely have to take pictures. It’s a make-or-break league. So, words Having said that, he did what he needed to do for the team tonight. We’ve been managing him and he’s been managing himself. That’s why you saw the spring and pop in his step. When he held mini practices We had a very productive offseason when it came to camp, training camp and our preseason. To a certain extent, we needed to adjust. It was the beginning of the year and once you start playing games, you go through these things. But he, I think he’s in a great spot. Once the rest of our guys get up to speed and that continuity continues to build, he’ll be fine. “He’ll be back to his best soon, Judging from a few minutes. “
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