LeBron James might get rested regularly this year
LeBron James will probably be rested regularly this season, according to Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt, who wants to keep his superstar fresh for a potential deep playoff run.
LeBron James has routinely been among the top 10 in the NBA in minutes played, and twice led the league in that category.
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Don’t count on him doing it again this year, since Cavaliers coach David Blatt has said that the team is exploring the idea of giving him regular rest throughout the season in order to keep him well-rested for what they hope will be a deep playoff run.
“It’s not specifically planned at this point,” said Blatt. “In other words, we didn’t sit down and already write up a plan for what game he would miss or what practice he would miss, but it could [happen] depending on need.”
Blatt is taking a page out of Gregg Popovich’s book. The Spurs coach is known for resting guys like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili during the regular season and it has translated to incredible postseason success, including last year’s championship win over LeBron’s Miami Heat.
Blatt acknowledges that he’s biting the idea from Popovich.
“I noticed a lot of what Pop does because he does it pretty well,” he noted. “Players are here to play, and it’s our job to get them ready and keep them healthy so they can participate in every game, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes you have to know how to rest guys without the team being at risk. That’s part of the process. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. And we have to be conscious of keeping these guys fresh and healthy and ready for the games ahead.”
There’s definitely nothing wrong with taking coaching ideas from a guy like Popovich, arguably the best coach on the planet. If resting LeBron for a few games is going to help him perform at his best in the playoffs, then it’s definitely worth it for the Cavs, who should have no problem making the playoffs with their stacked squad against a relatively weak Eastern Conference.