Lakers' Rob Pelinka Discusses Impact of Short NBA Offseason on LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka discussed Thursday how the short offseason may impact reigning NBA Finals MVP LeBron James.
Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet shared Pelinka's comments on the matter:
Pelinka called the upcoming season a "balancing act" in terms of doing what is needed to keep LeBron healthy and fresh. Pelinka also noted that the Lakers must figure out "what's best for LeBron, what's best for his health, our team's health, what's best for the league."
Since the COVID-19 pandemic pushed back the end of the 2019-20 season significantly, many teams must weigh how much they have to rest or limit the minutes of their stars next season, especially during the early going.
The 2020-21 season is scheduled to commence on Dec. 22 even though the 2019-20 season didn't end until Oct. 11, which is when James and the Lakers beat the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to win the title.
Teams that made a deep run in the playoffs like the Lakers and Heat must be especially cautious next season since their players didn't receive anywhere near the amount of rest they are accustomed to having between seasons.
James is getting up there in age at 35, but he still looks and seems better physically than some younger players. Last season, he averaged 25.3 points, 10.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game during the regular season and upped it to 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists per contest in the playoffs.
Pelinka noted that LeBron is "methodical and scientific" in terms of preparing his body for the rigors of the NBA season, and added that there is "no player in the NBA that is more focused on taking care of his body."
The NBA has frowned on the concept of "load management" in recent years because of its desire for its stars to play as many games as possible, especially on national television.
It stands to reason that the league will be more lenient during the 2020-21 season, though, because of the shortened offseason and condensed nature of the schedule.
The league pushed for a Dec. 22 start in order to play as many games as possible but still finish the season in time for the Olympics and increase television revenue, so conventional wisdom suggests it will work with teams and provide some leeway.
James is probably better prepared than most to get back to basketball after only about two months off, but it seems likely that he will be given more time off than usual in order to ensure he is in good condition for the stretch run.
