The times we may see LeBron rest are the second game of back to backs, or the third game in a four-day stretch, or maybe even just against a bad team. There are plenty of teams in the NBA that the Cavs conceivably should beat with a healthy Kyrie and Love on the court if LeBron were to rest.
Aside from the number of games played, the number of minutes LeBron is on the court will be important to follow as well. If a game in December is close and LeBron has played 30 minutes in three quarters, is it really worth having him out there for ten plus minutes in the fourth?
Is that one extra win in the standings that much more significant in December than Coach Blatt being smart and strategic with how he manages his superstar?
We’ll see how Blatt plays it, but of the lessons he learned in his rookie season as an NBA head coach, one of the biggest has to be to not let your stars wear down over the course of the season.
What we saw in June was a LeBron James who was playing on adrenaline alone.
He was out of gas and carrying the team on his back. The Cavaliers cannot afford to rely on workhorse with an empty tank in the 2016 playoffs, and cannot operate under the assumption that Irving and Love will be there this time around because they have a proven track record of missing games.
It might be the case that a healthy LeBron, Love, and Kyrie is all it takes to win the championship, but if that is not how it plays out, and one or more of those stars are injured, the question will have to be asked, “What could have been done differently?”
With all this in mind it’s in the best interest of the franchise, the best interest of the players, and the best interest of Coach Blatt’s job security to be cautious with LeBron, even if some fans complain.
This isn’t the 90s. This isn’t old school, super tough guy basketball.
Michael Jordan and Larry Bird may have played night in and night out and for that they deserve more praise in that area; but I’m pretty sure that a fan-base that has been starving for a championship for 51 years will gladly settle for LeBron getting some nights off if that’s what leads to a title.
The road to the 2016 Larry O’Brien Trophy starts tomorrow and like last year’s season opener, the game means virtually nothing. Here’s to the health of LeBron James, the number one priority for the Cavaliers.
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