As the NBA works to combat the growing load management trend, the Lakers are expected to lean into the practice more than ever before for the 2023-24 season. Managing the minutes for the injury-prone Anthony Davis will be important for them, but it’s 38-year-old LeBron James who stands the most to benefit from a careful approach to his workload.
Speaking to the media ahead of Friday’s preseason match against the Warriors, Darvin Ham shed some insight into LeBron’s plan for load management this upcoming season. “It’s a day-by-day deal. It’s been a great thing to collaborate with the medical staff and with him, myself, Rob [Pelinka]. We’ll come up with a solid plan,” Ham said, via Lakers Nation. “Again, it’s easy with him to navigate those so-called challenges of the unknown because he takes such good care of himself. Constantly preparing himself.”
It’s no secret that LeBron spends massive resources to preserve his health and body, and it’s part of the secret to why he’s managed to achieve such unprecedented longevity so far. As far as the preseason goes, James will only be playing in half the games to ramp up for the actual action. “Again, not just to be available but available at the highest level, and again, we’ll just take it day-by-day and see where it goes, but just definitely him playing half of the (preseason) games. That was the plan and is the plan. We won’t waver from that, but outside of that, everything else, we’ll just take it day by day.”
This Could Be The Final Season For LeBron James
While a full-fledged retirement tour seems likely for LeBron’s final season, some of his statements this summer hinted that the end is near for his basketball career. After 20 seasons, James has nothing left to prove as a 19x All-Star, 4x MVP, and 4x NBA champion, but there’s no doubt that he’s gunning for one last title before it’s all said and done. “Our two captains are the most hungry,” said Ham on LeBron and Davis. “They understand the moment. They not worried about what happened last year or what next year is gonna look like. They’ve submerged themselves into today, and that’s the way you have to be, especially in this business. It’s a marathon. But they’re hungry as ever. They’re intense.”
We’ve never seen a player stay on top for this long, so nobody is quite sure what to expect from LeBron this season. But if the Lakers want any hope of re-claiming the West, they will need James at full strength and leading the way.
Lakers Among The Favorites To Win The West
As teams like the Suns and Warriors made strides to improve, the Lakers had no choice but to keep up with moves of their own. Instead of following their usual strategy of signing the biggest stars, Rob Pelinka went the other way and added depth to their core group of guys. Entering the new season, the Lakers are expected to benefit greatly from the additions of role-players like Cam Reddish, Gabe Vincent, and Christian Wood.
At this point, the only question mark for the Lakers revolves around their health and durability. Last season, Davis and James were constantly in and out of the rotation, but the Lakers will need more consistency from them going forward. So, like it or not, load management will be a necessary part of the process for the Lakers and it will probably be that way for most teams across the NBA.
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