Dec 2, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers are continuing their up-and-down season as they suffered a blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday on a second night of a road back-to-back. The Lakers didn’t have enough energy or intensity against Minnesota’s solid defense, hitting only 40.5% of their field goal attempts and 19.4% from downtown.
One of the biggest culprits of the offensive struggles was LeBron James. The 39-year-old superstar is going through one of the worst shooting slumps of his career, finishing his fourth straight game missing all of his attempts from downtown. He had ten points, eight rebounds, four assists, and six turnovers on 4/16 shooting in 31 minutes.
This naturally caused the Lakers and head coach JJ Redick to reconsider some of their decisions. NBA insider Dave McMenamin reported after the game that the team is revisiting the plan for LeBron to play in all 82 games.
LeBron James had said before the season that he was planning on playing in every game this season. This was certainly ambitious for a player in his 22nd season in the league who hasn’t played all 82 since the 2017-18 season. Plus, James is playing 35 minutes per game and is carrying more load than any player approaching 40 should in the modern NBA.
The four-time MVP has played in all 21 games so far. His production and efficiency have taken a nosedive this season, averaging only 22 points per game on 48.2% from the field and a career-low free-throw attempt rate. Putting him on a load management plan, including sitting on back-to-backs is the only solution to keep James fresh for the second half of the season.