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Fox Sports analyst Chris Broussard suggested that the LA Lakers should proceed with load-managing LeBron James down the stretch of the season.
LeBron James' sudden absence from the San Antonio Spurs outing Monday night sounded alarms all over West Coast media. Fans and analysts debated whether resting James was the right idea while the Lakers are down in the dumps. They are already without Anthony Davis, while Russell Westbrook is a shell of himself, so they certainly need all the help they can get.
On the other hand, King James is in his 19th season and was coming off a virtuosic 56-point performance Saturday. It's understandable that the 37-year-old needs to give his body rest.
Broussard took a dramatic approach and suggested that the Purple and Gold should tank this season and prioritize LeBron James' health and future. He said the Lakers' 2021-22 campaign is practically over and this ninth-place team shouldn't be the reason the King hurts his long-term goals.
On "First Things First, Broussard said:
"Load Management. That's what they need to do with LeBron. If he's sore – remember he said a month ago that this isn't getting better, it's gonna be just like last year ... so don't break your back to play these games."
Broussard mentioned the three long-term goals that James has and that he needs to give up this season in order to maintain course towards those goals.
"There's three things LeBron really has important for him to achieve in his career now, and one of them is playing with is son Bronny, which is long term," Broussard said. "The basketball things are: Win another championship, if not more, and break Kareem's (Abdul-Jabbar) scoring record.
"Both of those things are more likely to happen next season, so get right for next season."
To avoid getting derailed from the main objective, which is the NBA's all-time scoring record, James needs to avoid overexerting himself this season. The LA Lakers aren't expected to do anything substantial moving forward. He can't afford another injury this season. That would reduce his number of games and, subsequently, the number of opportunities to inch closer to the record.
After his mind-boggling 56-point performance, he is sitting at 36,720 career points. He is 1,667 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and 208 points behind Karl Malone (36,928). Barring injuries, James will pass Malone and move into second place this season. In fact, at his current clip of 29.4 points per game, James will need only seven or eight more games to do so.
James plays heavy minutes (36.8 per game) despite being in his 19th season, so Broussard strongly suggested that the franchise cater to his long-term needs.
Playing with his son Bronny is still years away (the 2024-25 season at the earliest). Plus, winning a championship seems practically impossible this season. So, Broussard said James should think about throwing in the towel and not jeopardizing his goals. The Lakers have 18 games remaining.
Nick Wright believes LeBron James should not load manage this season
While Chris Broussard recommended LeBron James spend more time on the sidelines, Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright had the opposite approach.
Wright believes it is a matter of pride that the esteemed Purple and Gold should fight until their last breath. Under the new system, the ninth and 10th seeds will not be eliminated from the postseason but will have a two-game chance in the play-in tournament.
Wright believes James cannot shut down the season and rest or load-manage, because the LA Lakers still mathematically have a fighting chance. He dismissed the season's scoring title and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record as reasons to rest. On "First Things First," Wright said:
"It's not about the scoring title, and it's not about Kareem's record. ... He's going to break Kareem's record. He's 1,667 points away. ... It's about competing! The Lakers are not only not mathematically eliminated, but they're in this new version of the playoffs where its a play-in."
Wright said no superstar has ever tanked a season when the team was still mathematically within arm's reach of the playoffs. James only shut down in the 2018-19 season with the Lakers once he realized they were no longer capable of grabbing a postseason berth. (He played a career-low 55 games, missing seven of the final eight games, that season.)
Although far-fetched, the Lakers can still turn their season around if everything comes together. If Anthony Davis returns, Westbrook plays like his old self and James continues to dominate, Los Angeles can certainly get past the two play-in games and into the first round of the playoffs.
They would then face either Phoenix, Golden State or Memphis, so there is little hope of a Western Conference semifinals appearance.
Guess the Lakers players!
