The Los Angeles Lakers won a hard-fought game on Sunday night in which LeBron James turned back the clock yet again and put on a vintage performance. LeBron made sure to teach Dillon Brooks a lesson and took over the game to lead the Lakers past the Rockets.
This continues what has been an exceptional 2023-24 season so far for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Season 21 has not slowed down LeBron in the slightest as he legitimately looks like an MVP-caliber player night in and night out.
While this is great for the Lake Show if this version of LeBron is here in May, it is a bit concerning that the team is asking so much of the soon-to-be 39-year-old this early in the season. LeBron’s revealing quote after the win over the Rockets may have helped some fans come to that realization, while also bringing about some potential worry.
LeBron: "I'm in a really good groove right now. I don't feel that great right now, dealing with a couple of injuries, little bit under the weather right now...the competition got me going a little bit."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) November 20, 2023
Lakers fans are worried as LeBron James admits that he doesn’t feel great
It is absolutely stunning that LeBron James is able to go out there and put on this kind of show at his age considering that he is not 100%. However, the team needs to take a step back and look at this situation from 10,000 feet and not get lost in the moment of LeBron’s greatness.
It does not matter how great LeBron plays in the month of November if the Lakers run him to empty and he is unable to produce in the playoffs. Like it or not, LeBron is going to be 39 when the playoffs start and in recent years he has run into injury problems.
As great as it is to watch him play like this on a nightly basis, head coach Darvin Ham needs to take the reigns in and reel LeBron in. LeBron played just 29 minutes in the first game of the season and Ham said that was going to be the status quo the rest of the year. LeBron made it obvious that he disagreed and won that disagreement.
LeBron is averaging 34.4 minutes per game and he has nine games already with 35 or more minutes played. That may not seem like much but there are only 10 players in the NBA to play nine games with 35 or more minutes this season. James is 22nd in minutes played this season.
November basketball is great but it is infinitely less important than basketball played in April, May and June. The Lakers need to remember that and ensure that LeBron James can make it to when the games really start to matter.