People saw a whole lot of LeBron James during Monday night’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic.
James played for 32 minutes, which was surprising to many people because they expected him to play for about 28 minutes a game.
Apparently, head coach Darvin Ham’s plan to limit James’ minutes has been tossed out the window.
Speaking on “Undisputed,” Richard Sherman said James should be in control of how much he plays.
“You let him determine it. Darvin Ham is doing that, he’s letting him determine it,” Sherman said.
He added, “LeBron has been doing this a long time, he knows how to pace himself throughout the game.”
.@RSherman_25 isn’t concerned about LeBron averaging 34 MPG:
“LeBron has been doing this a long time, he knows how to pace himself throughout the game.” pic.twitter.com/W9t0fyWovg
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) October 31, 2023
In the opening game of the season, James played for 29 minutes.
After that game, Ham said that he was planning to keep James on the floor for about 28 minutes a game, as a way to preserve his strength and health for the duration of the entire season.
But after that game, James played for 35 minutes against the Phoenix Suns and then 39 against the Sacramento Kings.
On Monday night, James looked a bit fatigued and slower than usual.
But that was partly because it was the second of back-to-back games.
In general, the four-time champion hasn’t appeared to be exhausted.
As Sherman said, he has been in the game for a very long time and knows his body and abilities better than anyone else.
If he is healthy and wishes to play, he will.
If the rest of the roster can get stronger and more consistent, James will probably take much more time on the bench.
But the Lakers have had some very close games so far and their lead player isn’t content to sit on the sidelines without contributing.
If the Lakers get better, James will sit.
However, that raises a question that has plagued the team for years: Can the Lakers get better without him?
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