2015年12月13日星期日

LeBron doesn't want his playing time lowered: 'I'm not a 31-, 32-minute guy'


The Cleveland Cavaliers planned to reduced LeBron James' minutes to about 34 per game, but the superstar is averaging 37.1 minutes and not aiming to lessen his load, via cleveland.com's Joe (go to buy NBA 2K16 MT) Vardon:
"I'm not a 31-, 32-minute guy. That's just not, that ain't me," James mentioned immediately after practice on Thursday. The Cavs get started a two-game road trip to Orlando and Boston Friday night against the Magic.(go to 2k16 MT)

"I'm playing at a high level," James said. "I'm shooting the ball extremely well and I'm not hurting my team when I am on the floor. If I am hurting my team, then I should be sitting down. But I feel good.
"I'm always kind of like in the middle," he continued. I'm not a guy who likes to sit. (buy cheap nba mt coins) If we take care of business and we go out and we're able to beat up on a team and I can sit in the fourth, then I can. If not, then I need to play. If I'm in the lineup then I need to be out on the floor. And I'm not saying I have to be out there 48 minutes or 40 minutes. But I am going to make an impact."
James played 45 minutes last Friday in an overtime loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, sat out for rest -- but reportedly wasn't thrilled about it against the Miami Heat on Saturday -- and then played 40 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Cavaliers head coach David Blatt told reporters there's a chance that guards Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert will come back in the next two games. If that happens, perhaps Cleveland can reduce James' playing time organically.
In the end, though, the Cavs should try to protect James from himself. Maybe James isn't comfortable with the idea of playing 31 minutes a game, but could be talked into it. The San Antonio Spurs dropped Tim Duncan to 33 minutes per game in his eighth season, and to 31.3 in his 13th season. This is James' 13th year in the league, and he's averaging 39.2 minutes in his career. As ESPN's Tom Haberstroh explained recently, the 30-year-old James has played more minutes than anyone else at his age in NBA history. It might be time to learn how to pace himself.

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