Lakers News: Luke Walton Says LeBron James' Minutes Will Be Monitored
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton said Wednesday he wants to monitor LeBron James' minutes and keep them within a "reasonable" range, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.
He also noted, "We've got four years," referencing the contract James signed with the team this summer:
"We want to make sure we're not only playing at our best come the end of the season but that he's fresh. And that's a goal for us. And it's a goal that we're on a journey and it's not a one-year journey. We're continuing to try to and be our best season by season, but also as each one goes on. And obviously he gives us the best opportunity to be at our best."
Keeping James fresh will be key for the Lakers in the coming years. James, 33, was incredible in the 2017-18 season, averaging a league-leading 36.9 minutes per game in the regular season and 41.9 MPG in 22 postseason appearances. He was dominant in those minutes, averaging 27.5 points, 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds per regular-season contest and 34.0 PPG, 9.1 RPG and 9.0 APG in the playoffs.
He was a superhero for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but expecting him to maintain that level of workload into his mid-30s is unrealistic. And given the fast pace Walton wants from the Lakers, a healthy rotation will be important across the board.
"We want to play fast, and to do that we got to get guys in and out and in and out," he said. "So we'll get a good amount of guys out there."
That doesn't mean Walton and the Lakers will be overly cautious when it comes to James, or any other player, however.
"Rest with me is always kind of, you've got to take it as it comes," he said. "See how the season's going, get to those tough stretches. Are there nagging injuries happening or not? And that's when you would do it. We're not going to just rest somebody just to rest them. Only if the body or mind needs it, in my opinion."
While the Lakers have playoff expectations this season, they aren't expected to be title contenders. Instead, the 2018-19 season will be about incorporating James into the roster, figuring out the best roles for the team's young core and building chemistry between players like James, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, among others.
So there's little need for James to lead the NBA in minutes again this season. For a Cavaliers team trying to make one last run at a title, James' Herculean efforts last season made sense. For a Lakers team in a different stage of building to contend, there's little need to run him into the ground.
