Los Angeles Lakers head coach J.J. Redick said Thursday that LeBron James is away from the team due to “personal reasons.”
Redick called it an “excused absence,” as James’ status for Friday is up in the air – he was already dealing with a foot injury and missed Wednesday’s game, his first of the year.
Turning 40 later this month, it seems that Father Time may just be sneaking up on the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
In fact, Redick admitted that James has felt “gassed” and the team feels they are mismanaging his minutes in his 22nd season. Redick also said James has asked to be taken out of a couple of games for some breaks.
“For us, we have to be cognizant as we play more and more games, just the cumulative effect of playing a lot of minutes and Sunday, being banged up with the foot thing, it felt like a good opportunity for him to get some rest,” Redick said.
James expressed a desire earlier this season to play in all 82 games, but both he and the Lakers are now being practical with the inevitable minor injuries that arise during any season.
While he already has six triple-doubles this season – including four-straight at one point – his 23.0 points per game are the lowest he’s posted since his rookie season, over 20 years ago with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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James looks like his vintage self on the glass and passing; he’s averaging 8.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game, both over his career totals. However, his three-point shooting has taken a dip.
Through 15 games, he hit three-pointers at a career-best 43.0% clip. In his next seven, though, he hit just four of 34 and had missed 20 in a row. He did go 6 for 11 from deep in his last game, dropping 29 points, but that was just the second time he eclipsed 20 in his last seven games.
The Lakers are on a 3-7 skid since their 10-4 start to the season, but Redick remains confident in their ability to fix the problems that have bedeviled them recently in offensive consistency and defensive intensity. Redick also said he has spoken frequently with James and Anthony Davis about the Lakers’ ability to stay mentally strong during bad stretches.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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