LeBron James and his minutes limit explain why Lakers star will play less this season

Entering his 21st NBA season, LeBron James does what fans have become accustomed to over the past few decades.star Los Angeles Lakers In the loss to the Nuggets, he scored a team-high 21 points (10-of-16 shooting) as well as 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Amazingly, it only took James one year to achieve this goal. Game time is 29 minutes.

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LeBron only committed one foul in the game and was not forced to leave the game with any type of injury. In fact, when he jumps on the hardwood, his contribution is +7.

With this in mind, Why was James’ playing time so limited in the first game of the season?

Based on comments from LeBron and Lakers head coach Davin Hamm, fans may have to get used to seeing him play less minutes in the future.

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Why LeBron James is playing less minutes: Minute limit explained

After the Lakers’ loss in the season opener, Hamm told reporters, “Probably yes”when asked if LeBron James’ 29 minutes should be considered a trend this season.

Hamm added that the decision regarding the star’s playing time will be made in collaboration with LeBron and the Lakers training staff, suggesting the choice has something to do with load management or load management and your injury history.

The legend weighed in on his playing time restrictions, saying: “You always want to be on the court…I want to have a system and I’m going to follow it.”

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, LeBron clarified that he was not upset about the draft and knew in advance how many games he would play.

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Last season, Lakers players averaged 35.5 minutes played in 55 games, only 5 games played less than 30 minutes. James played even more minutes in the playoffs, He averaged 38.7 points in 16 games and fell below 30 points only once.

in short, LeBron James has covered a lot of miles in his NBA career. He is also the oldest player in the NBA this season, the third-most minutes played in history, and currently the player with the most minutes, nearly 55,000 minutes.

He has been injured multiple times in recent years due to this intense use, missing at least 25 games in four of his five seasons with the Lakers. Last season, LeBron suffered a serious foot injury in late February but later recovered.

By using the star in shorter bursts and keeping his minutes under a certain amount, the Lakers are helping LeBron James stay in shape and avoid injury. His results against the Nuggets pointed in that direction, as the reduction in playing time allowed him to look sharper on the court, increasing his efficiency and effectiveness.

LeBron is on sale‼ ️

Lakers end the third quarter with a 9-0 run 👀#KiaTipOff23 | TNT live pic.twitter.com/qLsizAE4ZB

—NBA (@NBA) October 25, 2023

The key for the Lakers will be the play of Anthony Davis and the rest of the team. If star absences become the norm this year, AD must always be the team’s main reference if he wants to keep winning.

By keeping James fresh throughout the regular season, Los Angeles can put themselves in a better position for the playoffs while extending his career.