JJ Redick believes LeBron James will benefit from four days off

JJ Redick believes LeBron James will benefit from four days off

As LeBron James showed in the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024-25 season, he still has enough energy to be the best player on the court on any given night.

James found his offensive groove last week after a rough patch shooting the basketball, although it didn’t necessarily translate into wins for the Lakers. For example, James suffered a stunning loss to the Miami Heat and then posted a massive triple-double in an overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

With James turning 40 at the end of December, head coach JJ Redick will have to find a balance between trusting James to save the Lakers and giving him enough rest to ensure he gets to the end of the regular season and potentially the playoffs in one Piece. With that in mind, it was no surprise that Los Angeles ruled James out for their home game against the hapless Portland Trail Blazers due to foot soreness.

Since the Lakers were eliminated in the knockout rounds of the NBA Emirates Cup, they will have additional days off throughout the week, which Redick said will be good for James, who can use the time to regain physical fitness become.

“Yeah, I mean, you certainly don’t want him out of the lineup,” Redick said. “But it is an opportunity to rest for four days before we train again. So it could be really good for him.”

It’s unclear exactly when James injured his foot, but Redick said he only found out about it after the team’s loss to the Miami Heat last week.

Although not much has been reported about James’ foot problem, it is probably not serious and he should not be forced to miss. Giving James as many maintenance days as possible is critical to his long-term health, even when the team is in the midst of a crisis.

As Redick pointed out, the time off should be good for James, but also for the rest of the team.

LeBron James believes the Lakers don’t have to drown until injured players return

The Lakers have already overcome a slew of injuries that have shown how thin they are, especially up front. With several expected rotation players still sidelined, LeBron James stressed that he and the team don’t have to go down until reinforcements arrive.

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