The Los Angeles Lakers have won six of their last seven games, and after a poor start to the season, they may be finding themselves again. They hold a decent 9-6 record after rolling the Utah Jazz 131-99 on Tuesday, and the biggest reason is the play of LeBron James.
James is laughing in the face of Father Time, as he’s averaging 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists a game while shooting an unreal 58.7% overall and 41.0% from 3-point range. He had the NBA equivalent of what schoolkids call a minimum day on Tuesday — he played just 24 minutes and rested the entire fourth quarter versus Utah.
But in general, James has been playing heavy minutes as head coach Darvin Ham has been leaning on him to stabilize the team. He’s averaging 33.6 minutes a game, which may not sound that bad, but he has logged over 35 minutes in eight of his 14 games.
Originally, the Lakers planned to significantly trim the 38-year-old’s minutes at the start of the season. That plan was shelved once they started the season poorly, but it hasn’t been forgotten, as they reportedly still want to keep his minutes down (h/t Lakers Daily).
Via ESPN:
“With the Lakers’ depth tested by early-season injuries, the minutes cap has turned out to be, well, cap,” wrote Dave Mcmenamin. “The only time Ham has met the guideline has been in two blowouts when James didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter because the outcome was already decided. Otherwise the Lakers have repeatedly found themselves in close games down the stretch, and James’ minutes have blown past any limit.
“Still, all parties involved aspire to limit James’ minutes when the team can get fully healthy, sources told ESPN. James has already missed one game in the early going because of a left calf injury, and the long-term goal is to get him to the finish line with the wheels still intact.”
The one injury that may have been the biggest impediment to the plan to limit James’ minutes is the left heel bursitis Jarred Vanderbilt has been dealing with since the preseason. He hasn’t played since L.A.’s first exhibition contest, but he is reportedly ramping up his activity in the hopes of returning soon.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer may be able to get away with playing extended minutes while the 2023-24 season is still very young. But pretty soon, the Lakers will need to get his playing time down in order to keep him fresh and productive while minimizing his risk of injury.