Hoops Habit
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What to watch for from every NBA team in the second half

By Daniel Lubofsky

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 23: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in action against Kyrie Irving #11 during the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 23, 2020 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 23: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in action against Kyrie Irving #11 during the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 23, 2020 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Lakers: How LeBron James manages himself

LeBron James has been adamant about limited rest time if healthy this season, even though his Los Angeles Lakers sit comfortably atop the Western Conference at 41-17.

With the Lakers four games ahead of the No. 2 seed, James has certainly earned at least one DNP, but this isn’t the same LeBron we saw towards the end of his second tenure in Cleveland, where an incredible self-belief overshadowed trivial aspects like seeding or momentum.

Having moved towards the more competitive of the two conferences, James isn’t taking any amount of talent for granted. He wants L.A. playing its best for as long as possible in preparation for the grind of the tougher playoff picture, but doing so comes at a price only he has to pay.

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James is famously amid his 17th season at 35 years of age who already ranks inside the top-10 in regular-season minutes all-time with the most postseason minutes in NBA history.

He continues to defy the odds with 25.0 points, an NBA-best 10.8 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game, but he’s not the invincible do-everything at all times player he once was.

Especially on a Lakers team asking him to run the offense without someone — no, not Rajon Rondo — to do so in his absence, LeBron needs every bit of energy in the tank to take on that arduous task over a potential title run.

Given L.A.’s sizeable lead on the two-seeded Denver Nuggets, a selective game or two off isn’t going to rock the boat for a team with one of the easier remaining schedules.

The question is simply whether after making such brash statements in grand opposition of doing so, James has the wherewithal to do what’s ultimately best for the Lakers’ chances to end this season how they want to.