Getty Images Lakers star LeBron James.
LeBron James is logging some big minutes for the struggling Los Angeles Lakers, but that’s not a coaching decision, per fill-in head coach David Fizdale.
James is averaging 37 minutes per game this season — the four-time MVP’s highest total since his 2016-17 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. While the Lakers would likely be more comfortable allowing the soon-to-be 37-year-old some extra time on the bench, they don’t have much of a choice.
“LeBron don’t give us a choice,” Fizdale told reporters on Tuesday. “This guy’s a freak, he wants to be out there.”
While James has had some recent bouts with injury — including a nagging sore ankle — the team doesn’t seem too concerned about his longevity.
“I’m not here that long. That’s easy for me to say as an assistant. Obviously, the higher ups and our medical team would have to make those decisions. But the way he prepares himself and the liveliness he brings to the game, I don’t,” Fizdale said.
James said prior to the season that he doesn’t like to limit himself or worry about his workload. In fact, he thinks he feels worse when he plays less.
“I don’t play the game thinking about injuries,” James told reporters. “And I also feel worse when I play low minutes.”
Lakers Trade for Russell Westbrook to Relieve Pressure on LeBron
The Lakers made a big move this offseason to acquire Russell Westbrook, which general manager Rob Pelinka admitted was in part to take some of the heavy load off James’ shoulders.
“We knew that as LeBron journeyed towards Year 19 in the league and then Year 20, we couldn’t rely on him as the sole engine for our team, so we made that trade really wanting to dimensionalize the roster with a combination of versatility, guys that could shoot and also defenders,” Pelinka said on the latest episode of Spectrum SportsNet’s Backstage Lakers.
The Westbrook experiment has come with some mixed results, with the former MVP averaging 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. He’s also turning the ball over 4.6 times per game. Westbrook’s usage rate is 26.9% this season, his lowest in more than a decade. James’ is 29% — the highest on the team.
Lakers Fall Back to .500 After Loss to Suns
The Lakers lost to the Suns on Tuesday night, falling to 16-16 this season with a third consecutive loss. The Lakers are playing without Anthony Davis and health has not been on the team’s side all season, rarely being able to play with a familiar rotation or even starting lineup.
“How can we really fully assess what we have when we haven’t been whole? I can’t remember the last time we played the same starting lineup and had the same rotation coming off the bench,” James said after the loss. “It’s been a long time. So, it’s hard to assess that.”
James seems to have avoided another significant ankle injury during the matchup. He was a bit hobbled after coming down on the foot of Jae Crowder but doesn’t expect to miss time.
“Yeah, I’ll be ready for next game,” James said.
The Lakers face the Spurs on Thursday.