Why We Shouldn't Panic About LeBron's Minute Restriction

LeBron James had a solid outing in Tuesday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets, scoring 21 points on 10-16 shooting, adding eight rebounds and five assists. Yet, The King only logged 29 minutes and was noticeably held to a minute restriction.

Head coach Darvin Ham noted post-game that “in all likelihood,” James will continue to be capped between 28-30 minutes.

The news has led many to rush to conclusions about our crumbling championship prospects or pressuring Anthony Davis to take on a more productive role, but let’s slam the breaks on that.

Sure, we may have to rely on our supporting cast more to win games throughout the year. AD will also have to play efficiently to secure a top seed in the west. That being said, here is why James and the Lakers will be fine.

LeBron is still playing at a high level

For perspective, James averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 35.5 minutes last season. Using these stats, we could project James’ 29-minute averages this year to be about 23.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game.

While this is a stark difference, it’s certainly nothing to scoff at. There were less than ten players total last season who averaged 23+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 5+ assists. While we may not be looking at the MVP favorite, we can be sure that a limited James will still produce superstar numbers.

Health Concerns

James, 38, is now the oldest player in the league. While practically all players by year 21 are long retired or close to it, James defies human ability and still dominates on the basketball court.

However, James has played less than 60 games in four of his five seasons with the Lakers, something he hadn’t done once during his previous 15 seasons in the league.

There must come a time when we acknowledge James’ humanity, as it’s undeniable that we’ve seen James’ age and health hamper him in recent years, the most recent being a pestering ankle injury during the 2023 playoffs.

Keeping our stars healthy is a key component to our championship prospects, and given James’ age and track record, it may not be the worst idea to prioritize his long-term health in terms of its effect on team success.

We’re built for this

General manager Rob Pelinka retooled the squad in the offseason. Key additions like Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent, and Christian Wood only added to our returning strong rotational pieces like Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura.

The depth on this roster gives the Lakers a championship backbone that our superstars only enhance.

Assuming AD steps into the true alpha role that we’d like to see, James sitting a few extra minutes a night gives more opportunities for the role players to flourish alongside him.

There’s no secret formula for a championship team, and this organization is no stranger to building what it takes to bring home an O’Brien trophy. If James’ minute restriction is the strategy that needs to be implemented for our best shot at it, I’m all for it.