The Lakers probably have the most to worry about when it comes to the short layoff between the end of the NBA Finals and the start of the 2020-21 season. Not only because they played the longest season of anyone besides Miami, but also because the Lakers’ roster was already on the older side and will need to be cautious to stay healthy.
In a call with reporters on Thursday, general manager Rob Pelinka expounded on how he sees LeBron James keeping his body ready during the 2020-21 campaign, which starts in just over a month.
“The great thing about LeBron is he is so methodical and scientific in terms of how he prepares his body with the team he works with,” Pelinka said, adding, “That will just be a balancing act throughout the season of recognizing that there was an extremely short layoff between championship and start of season.”
Rob Pelinka on the impact of a short offseason for @KingJames: pic.twitter.com/soNXXToDIG
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 19, 2020
The fact that James — who is eighth in league history in regular season minutes played and first in postseason minutes played — has prolonged his career to this degree already is a testament to his commitment to his body and health, so this season should be no different. However, with James and the Lakers as well as across the NBA, fans should probably be ready for more rest and minutes restrictions than even a normal season.
