The Los Angeles Lakers will only go as far as LeBron James and Anthony Davis take them as the two superstars are the pillars for the team on both ends of the floor.
Head coach JJ Redick aced his first test as an NBA head coach after he picked up his first career win and he did it by putting James and Davis in good positions to make plays against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Davis, in particular, had a strong first game of the 2024-25 season as he led all scorers with 36 points, perhaps a sign of things to come as Redick emphasized his desire to feature him on the offensive end.
Los Angeles was afforded a couple of days of rest after beating Minnesota but will return to action on Friday to host the Phoenix Suns. However, they won’t get a chance to relax as they’ll immediately turn around and play a home game against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday to complete their first back-to-back set of the season.
When asked whether or not he’ll rest either James or Davis on the second nights of a back-to-back this season, Redick said that the decision will depend on how the two stars feel on a night-to-night basis.
“It’s all in real time,” Redick said. “How do they feel when they get up on Saturday morning?”
The Lakers understand the need to be cautious with James and Davis given their collective injury histories as well as the heavy minutes they’ve played thus far in their careers. The duo also had a shorter offseason after spending the summer playing for USA Basketball in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, so that’s another thing to consider when managing their workloads.
However, there might be more urgency from Redick and the coaching staff to play their stars early on in the year to bank wins instead of chasing after them toward the end of the regular season. The past two years the Lakers have had to fight and claw their way into the playoffs, so trying to win as many games as early as possible could actually end up allowing James and Davis more rest down the line.
LeBron James to reportedly play at least two more years
LeBron James will be turning 40 years old later this year which means he’ll be one step closer to finally retiring. However, the King will reportedly play at least two more seasons including this one with the potential for a third.
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