LeBron James is clearly an asset to the Los Angeles Lakers team, and they know it. He may not have the advantage of age anymore. But when he is on song, nobody can stop him. The all-time scoring leader can win games single-handedly. It does not matter if he will be 39 next December. Even the four-time MVP mentioned that he is able to run faster and jump higher than most of the youngsters in the league. Indeed, LBJ is still among the best players in the league.
However, the team is wary of injury concerns that can come his way. Indeed, LBJ has been more injury-prone since 2021-22 than he has ever been before in his career of 20 long NBA seasons. Due to a lack of balance in the roster, LeBron James had to take up more stress. However, Darvin Ham, on Laker’s Media Day, mentioned this season, they have balance and depth in their roster. Hence, Ham wants to push LeBron James to rest as much as his body needs.
Darvin Ham Mentioned He Will Keep A Close Look On The Game Time Of LeBron James
The resting of key players is definitely essential for the team and the King. But also, this time, the Lakers can afford to let LBJ rest as many games as possible. Moreover, the Lakers head coach mentioned they have quite a few young players who are eager to contribute to the team and have played tons of minutes in the league. With players like Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Taurean Prince in the wing, the Lakers can let LeBron James rest a few games. But also, these players can help James have a lighter workload when they play alongside him in games. Moreover, Darvin Ham mentioned LeBron James takes a lot of care of his health. Hence, the current roster will only work in the favor of LeBron James.
Indeed, it is more important that LBJ stays healthier during the latter stages of the season, like in April, May, and June. With a lighter workload, LeBron James can just ease into the season. He can start slow initially, then ramp up during the end stages of the regular season, and be at his peak during the postseason. However, the all-time leading scorer in the league does not entertain the idea of resting. Moreover, when the Lakers did not have a balanced roster, LeBron James had to forget about resting entirely. But in return, he would miss more games in the last few seasons due to injuries.
LBJ And AR Recently Helped The Lakers Get Back To Winning Ways In The Preseason
Lately, the Lakers got back to winning ways in the current preseason. They looked a bit disjointed against the Golden State Warriors in the preseason opener. But LeBron James and Austin Reaves helped the Lakers win over the Brooklyn Nets. Neither AR nor LBJ played against the Warriors. However, Rui Hachimura scored the most points against the Nets with 19 points to help the Lakers win. The 38-year-old superstar sustained a severe tendon injury on his right foot in late last February. Later, LeBron James sat out for almost a month for recovery.
However, without being entirely healthy, he returned to the team’s lineup for the remaining part of the 2022-23 season. King James performed exceedingly well as he helped the Lakers reach the Western Conference Finals. LeBron James even scored 40 points in Game 4 of the conference finals for a losing cause. Hence, the King is still the most valuable player in the team, even when he is not 100% healthy. That’s why the 17-time champions are looking forward to managing the game time of King James in 2023-24.
