LeBron James’ 29 short minutes of play last night were talked about after the Los Angeles Lakers’ inaugural defeat against the Denver Nuggets. But according to LA coach Darvin Ham, this reduced use of the King could be a trend this season.
LeBron James is almost 39 years old, he tends to make us forget him as his form is dazzling and his level of play almost unchanged. Against the Nuggets, the King showed himself at ease last night: in 29 minutes of play, he sent 21 points at 63% shooting, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Sometimes suspicious activity in defense, certainly, but nothing that clearly shows a physical decline requiring longer stints on the sidelines.
So unsurprisingly, the reporters asked Darvin Ham at the end of the game if this reduced playing time was normal, and if this would be a trend this season. The coach’s response was blunt:
“We’ll see, but in all likelihood, yes.”
It seems like LeBron’s 29 minutes could be a norm this season ????
He played 35.5 minutes per game in 2022-23.
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Ham is aiming far this season: the month of May, even June. Thus, he seems to want to take care of the James machine and its enormous mileage while LBJ has experienced several injuries in recent seasons. Remember that the King should during this 2023-24 campaign – barring injury – surpass Karl Malone in the number of minutes played in his career to take second place in NBA history.
But what does the King think of its reduced use? Questioned at a press conference, the main person concerned did not hide:
“I always want to be on the field, especially when there is an opportunity to win a game where you feel like you can make an impact. But I guess there is a system in place and I will follow it.
I’m not surprised or angry.”
This reassures us for the employment of Darvin Ham.
More seriously, with this factor in mind, the Lakers system seems to rely more than ever on the physical condition of Anthony Davis. THE Unibrow declared during training camp that he wants to play all 82 games this season and it seems important that he can walk his talk. Because if LeBron James is no longer there to play 40 minutes per match and pull the chestnuts out of the fire, his absences will be more noticed than ever.
Just as a reminder, last night, AD got through his second half (0 points after the break) while the Lakers struggled during the minutes without James (+/- +7 for LeBron, 12-point defeat in the final).
After more than 20 years in the League, LeBron James could finally be spared in the regular season. The cyborg James is not eternal… if you listen to his coaching staff.
Source texte : Jovan Buha – The Athletic
2023-10-25 12:17:00
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