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Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick suggested Monday night that LeBron James playing in all 82 regular-season games may not be the right move James or the team as a whole.
Speaking to reporters after the Lakers' 109-80 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Redick said the following when asked about LeBron's goal of playing in every game this season:
"I think we're measuring the players and we can tell if a guy is running hot or whatever. He does a remarkable job of taking care of his body and getting recovery. I don't know if that's in the best interest of him and us if he [plays all 82 games]. But if he's feeling well and feeling good, we should play. But we obviously want to manage that as best as we can."
Despite being the oldest player in the NBA and on the verge of turning 40 later this month, James has appeared in all 21 games for the Lakers this season.
At the start of the 2024-25 season, James made it clear that he didn't want to miss any games, telling reporters: "Yeah. I plan on playing every game. We'll see what happens. You never know. We'll see what happens if I don't."
LeBron has played 82 games in a season only once in his legendary career, accomplishing the feat as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017-18.
Since then, James has played seven seasons for the Lakers, and he has reached the 70-game mark only once during that time. After appearing in 56 or fewer games three seasons in a row, LeBron was much healthier last season, playing in 71 contests.
While he maintained his usual high level of production last season, James' numbers have clearly dipped so far this season, as he is averaging 22.0 points, 9.1 assists, 8.0 rebounds, 1.9 three-pointers made and 0.6 steals per game, while shooting 48.2 percent from the field.
James' scoring average is his lowest since his rookie season in 2003-04, his shooting percentage is his worst since 2006-07 and his steal numbers are the worst of his entire career.
Monday marked James' worst games of the season and perhaps one of the worst games he has ever had in the NBA, as he finished with 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting to go along with eight rebounds, four assists and six turnovers.
That understandably led to some questions regarding whether it may be beneficial to LeBron and the Lakers to let him rest for at least one game.
When he was asked Monday about the idea of playing in every game, James was noncommittal, telling reporters: "That's a goal, but, we'll see. It's something I ain't discussing right now."
On Monday, James played the second leg of a back-to-back, marking the third time he has done that already this season.
The two previous times he played games on consecutive nights, James finished with 21 points on 8-for-19 shooting and 16 points on 8-of-18 shooting in the second leg, which suggests fatigue may be an issue.
L.A. is undoubtedly at its best when LeBron and Anthony Davis are leading the way, but the team also needs them to be fresh.
The Lakers are in eighth place in the Western Conference at 12-9 and figure to be in the thick of the playoff race all season, so sitting James for a game here and there won't necessarily be an easy decision.
However, it may be for the best if it means having the best version of LeBron in the games that he does play.
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