Lakers usage of LeBron James should be a problem, according to Skip Bayless

LeBron James may be entering his 21st season in the NBA, but he’s still as dominant as ever, and that was on full display Wednesday night in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 130-125 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers reflect. James was outstanding for the Lakers in this game (35 points, 12 points, 7 assists, 19 FGM), but James has a worrying trend that caught the attention of Skip Bayless.

After the Lakers’ season-opening loss to the Denver Nuggets, head coach Davin Hamm revealed that James’ playing time will be somewhat limited throughout the season, considering James played 29 minutes in the season-opening game. This makes sense. However, since then, James has averaged 37.2 minutes per game, almost free of playing time restrictions.While Bayless is impressed with James’ performance, he’s worried if he Keep playing the game for a long time.

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Bayless’s point is valid here because James is 38 years old and has a lot of tread on his tires. While it would be nice to win a regular-season game against a Los Angeles opponent, the Lakers must do everything they can to ensure James is well on his way to the playoffs. The NBA’s new load management rules will make that difficult, but Bayless believes James shouldn’t be playing more than 37 minutes a night at this point in his career.

Not every game will be close enough to warrant James breaking his minutes limit, but the more games he plays under 30/40 minutes, the scarier the Lakers’ use of him will become. This isn’t a big deal for Los Angeles since they’ve only played five games, but it’s a troubling trend that could come back to bite the Lakers if it continues.