Lakers Coach And LeBron Collaborate On James’ Minutes For Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers played the Phoenix Suns last week. They were trying to secure a win against their opponents, and Lakers coach Frank Vogel did the expected. He rested LeBron in the fourth quarter of the game. Well, we’ve noticed that Vogel does this in almost every game this season.

Vogel told Alex Caruso to wait at the scorer’s table to sub in for LeBron, but then realized he had made a mistake. LeBron told Alex to go back to the bench, and Vogel even laughed about it. The king stayed in the game, and Vogel didn’t oppose his decision.

“He told Alex to go back to the bench,” Vogel recalled with a laugh earlier this week. “Yelled out ‘what are you doing over there at the scorer’s table? Go back to the bench. What’s the matter with you?’”

LeBron and Vogel are collaborating on his minutes this season. King James is pretty aware of the fact that Vogel wants him to rest in the fourth quarter. There are also games when Vogel tells him to get a minute or two, but LeBron stays in the game if he feels like staying.

“He knows I prefer to get him a rest in the fourth quarter, and there are going to be some games… where I tell him ‘I want to get you a minute or two, but I’m going to follow your lead.’ And if he wants to stay in, we’ll keep him in,” Vogel said.

The Lakers coach knows it best

The dynamic works really well. LeBron is tied with Anthony Davis for the most overall minutes per game on the roster (34.7). This is career-low for LeBron, but Vogel wants to keep him in great shape for the postseason. LeBron may be ready to play more minutes, Vogel will let him play.

LeBron is taking a really good care of his body, and he is in with whatever Vogel brings on the table. The superstar is ready to push the limit at any time, and he always plays games expecting to get big minutes. That won’t be the case this season, but LeBron is ready for pretty much every scenario on the floor.

“I’m with whatever, honestly. It doesn’t matter for me. I train my body. Train my mind to be able to push the limit at any time,” he said. “I go into a game expecting to have to play big minutes. Obviously I know that’s not going to be the case, but that’s just how I prep my mind and my body so that we’re good for whatever.”

Follow the lead

If by any chance you haven’t noticed, LeBron has been saving his pushes for late in the game this season. He is leading the Lakers in fourth quarter minutes per game (9.3), but Vogel has a strategy that allows King James to play the types of closing minutes he prefers to, while keeping his overall minutes on the low.

“I’ll follow his lead if he’s feeling fresh. If he says he’s feeling great, then what I like to try to do is to frontload that rest in the first half, so we have that luxury going into the second half,” Vogel said. “It’s been a good balance of when I’m on the floor with AD, when I’m not on the floor with AD,” added James at shootaround on Tuesday morning. “We’ve been able to keep the team in the right direction and playing winning basketball.”

Vogel follows LeBron’s lead, and they have found a mutual language. It works really well for the Lakers, and they are considered contenders. Game on, Lakers!