LeBron James isn’t a fan of load management and believes he’s better off playing heavy minutes, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin writes. James missed 26 games last season due to a high ankle sprain. “I don’t play the game thinking about injuries,” James said. “And I also feel worse when I play low minutes.”
Coach Frank Vogel said that he still plans to give James some nights off this season.
“Obviously, it’s probably don’t want to have him play 82 games,” Vogel said. “But we’re not going to pre-script X amount of nights off. We’re going to take it as it comes throughout the year.”
We have more on the Lakers:
- Avery Bradley didn’t participate in the Orlando bubble in 2020 in his last stint with the Lakers. There are no hard feelings lingering from that decision now that Bradley is back in a Lakers uniform, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes. “We’re welcoming him back with open arms,” Vogel said. The Lakers claimed Bradley off waivers from the Warriors on Monday.
- Russell Westbrook made an ugly Lakers debut in their loss to Golden State on Tuesday, contributing just eight points on 4-for-13 shooting while making four turnovers. His superstar teammates don’t want Westbrook to dwell on his disappointing opening-night performance, McMenamin relays in a separate story. “We said some things to him, and he smiled and things like that, so I expect him to be better in the game Friday,” Anthony Davis said.
- Not only will it take time for Westbrook to build chemistry with the team’s other stars but the rotation members will also need time to develop at the defensive end, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today notes. Zillgitt points out that three of the team’s best defenders are gone, either via the Westbrook trade or free agency.
If LeBron continues to play heavy minutes at age 36, soon to be 37, he’s just going to continue missing games like he has over the last three seasons. He should know his limitations and accept load management if he wants to prolong his career. With two years left on his current contract (expiring in 2023), he needs to stay healthy if he wants another big payday. The health of both him and AD is crucial for the team.
I think he’s trying to say he feels good and isn’t a fan of playing limited minutes in a game because he’s a warrior like that. However, he’s 36 years old like you said so I think Vogel will prevail in giving his body some rest during the season.
Not a smart move by their coach in the first game of the season. You could see LeBron and AD very tired in the 4th quarter. Vogel needs to be the coach and sit his 2 stars in games.
Also not so sure he cares as much about his next payday as he does possibly further cementing his legacy by winning another championship.
What’s Kawhi’s excuse?
He’s a spoiled child and everyone with any authority in his life continue to let him get away with whatever he wants.
i highly doubt hes seeking another payday, hes worth a billion dollars isnt he?
Combined regular season and playoff minutes? He will be second only to Kareem at the end of the year. But, with him, the injury-challenged AD, and Lil Russ as the top three, how much CAN you load manage him and still finish in the top 4 in the West? link to socraticgadfly.blogspot.com
One of Lakers 4 Championship role players need to score 15 points per game
Melo
Rondo
Howard
Ariza
Average age is 36
Think about what you are saying. To score that much, one will need to play ALOT of minutes. You just said they are roleplayers.
When 3 guys get 20 ppg. That doesn’t usually leave much left for the other 7-9.
Russ is gonna average closer to 13 ppg then 20
Or using better commonsense,the bench needs to play better. Age is not a factor.
“The bench needs to play better”? WHAT bench? The cupboard was cleaned out to make room for Lil Russ.
Melo and Howard are themselves in top 50 in career minutes. In fact, Melo is in the top 30. OOPS
link to socraticgadfly.blogspot.com
Curry shoot 5 of 21
Warriors take down Lakers easily without superstar Klay and 2 young stars in Wiseman and Kuminga
Are you serious?
Wiseman and kuminga would make warriors worse?
Impressive. Lakers may take some time to jell. I will like it if ‘zards get a better record!
Wiseman and Kuminga are stars? Huh? What planet do you live on? They have potential to be stars. Give them a season or two.
LeBron just loves to give these sound-bytes about wanting to play every game, for the fans, etc ……. yet he had no such issues when he was load-managed back with the HEAT.
Like that one agent says, Lebron has “an obsession with creating a legacy, instead of letting the legacy create itself.”
Did you miss where he feels better with more minutes? (He must be fresh.). IDK about Heat days but in CLE he actually did not get along with the weird team assembled in 17/18 with Wade and he established a rep for missing games that was said to hurt the whole league. And realistically, that was that, except for the “abundance of caution” trend everywhere.
If Westbrook ego wasn’t so big he should do what the Warriors did with Iggy by making him the leader on the second team. Westbrook is not good when both LeBron and AD are on the court at the same time.
And people don’t call him on it. I remember he had Malcom X’s book out, like he was in the middle of reading it. A reporter asked him about and he BS’d his way through the answer. He’s so fake. Great player, which is annoying that he has to ask this way.
LeBron could save a kitten from a tree and you bozos would be in here slamming him somehow on it in here
I love it when people say he might be the second player of all time with disdain.
Would not surprise me to see Westbrook go for Simmons after Dec 15
Might be a lot of movement that in retrospect, that should have happened in the offseason. Simmons was popular with LJ early on; IDK now; but getting Westbrook was more a matter of convenience… I can picture him with Embiid better. LJ likes it slow, Westb fast.
Why?
It’s not a good sign, when the LAKERS had to give 4th quarter minutes to Bradley – a guy picked-up from scrap heap mere hours ago.
Vogel better shore up that LAKERS defense fast, otherwise Fizdale might be head coach again.
Vogel is the problem.
It’s just one game…
…And they already look like they could use a vacation.
As do the nets !
I’ve said it time and time again, Vogel is horrible. His rotations are absolutely ridiculous. He never uses the youth that he has as bodies sit and rot on the bench. At least the warriors and other teams play those young guys. They need a better coach.
It made no sense playing AD almost 40 minutes in the first game of the season. You could see once 4th quarter hit he was dead tired.
Arguably, the start is the best time for him to get AD into game shape, when he would be less likely to have injuries he might over-compenstate for. But that depends on his condition… gotta hope Vogel & the staff gets it right, being closer.
Vogel’s job is not to play youth per se, but I could agree with some players… not THT though, some game situations will be a better setup than others…
AD though, it’s all about health & balance.
link to m.imdb.com