The Los Angeles Lakers cannot risk overextending LeBron James in his 21st NBA season.
What makes this tricky, however, is that so far they haven’t been able to get him to sit still for long periods of time either. The 38-year-old remains front and center of this team’s success, posting a net rating of 23.8 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com.
That number is a true testament to his timeless greatness, but it’s also the downfall of this franchise. The Lakers can’t rely on James so much. Unlike the mileage he has already achieved in his once-in-a-lifetime career.
They know this too.them Discussed a plan In an effort to limit their exposure on opening night, while they largely couldn’t hang on — he played 32 minutes in 10 of 13 games — they haven’t given up hope of finally getting there. As ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported, “All parties involved will want to limit James’ playing time when the team is fully healthy.”
To some, that might sound like wishful thinking, but for the Lakers, it’s a non-negotiable part of their championship plans.
While there are benefits to getting the top seed in the playoffs, it ultimately doesn’t guarantee anything. You only have to go back to April for proof, when the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated in the first round by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat.
Although there are some challenges with being a lower seed, these challenges can be overcome. The last playoffs also drove home this point, thanks to the Lakers, who earned the seventh seed in the play-in round and still started a playoff journey that didn’t end until the Western Conference Finals.
Some early-season setbacks aren’t fun, but they’re not the end of the world. But do you know what that would be? At the worst possible moment, James was seriously injured.
Lakers fans will certainly remember that message was delivered last season as well. James gave this team everything he had, but his body eventually gave way to a torn tendon in his right foot. He was injured in late February and missed a full month, unable to find consistent dominance in the playoffs.
The Lakers are off to a good start this season (8-6), but their performance hasn’t lived up to expectations either.
Injuries play a role in that. The team played only four players in each of its first 14 games. Hachimura has missed four of those games. Gabe Vincent’s absences have reached 10 and counting. Jared Vanderbilt has yet to make his season debut.
On the court, many of the Lakers’ players fell short of expectations, too. They were counting on Austin Reeves to make leap year happen, but it hasn’t happened yet. Anthony Davis still hasn’t shown the confidence the team needs on the offensive end. Vincent couldn’t hit anything when he was playing ball. Christian Wood and Taurean Prince were aloof. Max Christie failed to capitalize on the few opportunities he was given.
any – or, Fingers crossed, all of these players can get better, and if they start playing like this, finding more remaining minutes for James every night won’t be a problem. If the supporting cast can’t fill the void, then the front office has the resources to hit the trade market and find players who can.
While the Lakers don’t want to be so dependent on James, they can find some encouragement from one part of the problem.
He remains one of the best players on the planet. So with the selection of him and Davis, this club clearly retains its championship pulse.
That’s why this situation is so important. If the Lakers can get to the finish line with James running at almost full speed, they still have a chance to do something amazing.
But this is still a problem that needs to be solved, and a solution must be found sooner rather than later. The more rest James gets now, the more energized he will be in the playoffs and the greater his chance of turning his championship dreams into a reality.