NBA Rumors: Despite Playoff Assurance, Lakers Still Take Tedious Approach On LeBron James' Minutes

KEY POINTS

LeBron James has no plans of slowing down as the Lakers are headed to the postseason
The Lakers need to keep close watch of James to avoid further road bumps to their NBA title quest
James remains dominant as before, but his age is a concern especially if he gets injured

The Los Angeles Lakers are taking the cautious route with several stars already showing signs of the grind of a potential back-to-back NBA title campaign.

Anthony Davis is still out, waiting to see if he will be given clearance to play. Others are also dealing with injuries, a reason why resident star LeBron James has taken it upon himself to carry the team on his shoulders.

James told reporters that he planned to shift gears heading into the NBA playoffs. That is unsurprising considering that other NBA stars do the same.

But unlike last season, he is surrounded by a new crew that has been performing erratically. As he is previously known to do, “The King” plans to have no rest from hereon.

The only difference between James and what he did in the past is his age. He is already 36 years old but has shown he can still dominate the game.

However, one serious injury could instantly change his trajectory. It is something that the Lakers cannot afford right now, a reason why head coach Frank Vogel and company want to ease the load off the 17-time All-Star.

LeBron said he’s usually in first, second and third gear in the first half of the season, fourth, fifth and sixth gear in the second half of the season and then seventh gear in the playoffs. https://t.co/i2ZtFZKmWa
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) March 11, 2021

"It's time to get prepared and making that turnaround, that last lap going into the postseason. I'm not into looking ahead saying, 'OK, let's take this off, take that off,'” James said to reporters via ESPN. "Nah, it's go time for me."

Looking at the NBA standings, the Lakers have fallen 3.5 games behind the Western Conference leader Utah Jazz. They are on a two-game losing streak, struggling with Davis still on the sidelines.

For James, his numbers remain incredible. In 36 games, he has averaged 25.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. These are near his usual career numbers.

However, he is logging a heavy 34.6 minutes per game. Though his playing time is the same as last year, the four-time NBA MVP is not getting any younger.

There is no telling if Davis can return in time for the Lakers and be as effective. But other than that, the main issue for them is making sure that James is not overworked which could lead to unwanted injuries.