Undoubtedly, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are crucial for the Los Angeles Lakers to make the postseason. But for that, they need significant rest time. However, that was not possible in the last few seasons because there was not much depth and balance in the roster. Moreover, the Lakers would want their top two stalwarts, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, to play as many games as possible. They have not been able to play more than 65 games in the last season due to severe injuries.
Hence, the Lakers can’t afford to have LBJ and AD miss games with injuries anymore. That’s where the depth and balance in the roster will work out for the team well this season. They can afford to rest the James-Davis duo for a few games so that they can play more than 70 games this season. If that’s the plan, then the question arises if the Lakers will rest LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the game against the Orlando Magic.
Will Darvin Ham Rest LBJ And AD Against The Magic?
Moreover, the James-Davis duo played in the first three games of the regular season. The Lakers lost two against the Denver Nuggets and the Sacramento Kings. But they won only against the Phoneix Suns. Moreover, in the game against the Magic, the Lakers have their first back-to-back games this season. Perhaps, it is time to rest LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the next game. However, Jovan Buha of The Athletic mentioned the Lakers have not yet decided about resting the James-Davis duo.
Darvin Ham on if the Lakers have decided on the availability of LeBron, AD, etc., tomorrow with the Lakers playing Orlando in the second night of a back-to-back: "Not as of yet."
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 30, 2023
At least, that is what the Lakers head coach, Darvin Ham, had to say about it. Moreover, it is only the beginning of a very long season. But the fragile health of both James and Davis is a very big concern for the Lakers. Anyway, the LA side already sustained a few injury concerns, as Jarred Vanderbilt is out for a while due to a heel injury. Hence, the Lakers must take care of their defense well in the absence of Vando. Moreover, it is up to AD and LBJ to discuss with Darvin Ham about their stress level. Only time will tell if the duo appears on the floor against the Magic.
Lakers Have Enough Depth And Balance To Reduce The Stress Level Of LeBron James And Anthony Davis
Moreover, this time, the LA side does not need to bother about any balance issues. After all, the front office has done a phenomenal job in the offseason to maintain balance and depth like they had at the end of the last season. But the LA Lakers would want to go on a little further than where they went last season. They made a miraculous turnaround last season to reach the Western Conference Finals. But the eventual champions, the Denver Nuggets, ended their hopes of winning the 18th title in the 2022-23 edition.
However, they are looking for redemption this season. But the current season did not start very well for them as they lost two games already of their first three in the regular season. Moreover, they had a pretty bad preseason in terms of win-loss record. However, it does not really matter, as what they do from now on will make the difference.
