Remember the opening night of the NBA season?
I can forgive you if [checks calendar] 15 days ago feels like a lifetime at this point. On Oct. 24, the Lakers opened their season against the Nuggets, and LeBron James played only 29 minutes. After the game, James—somewhat begrudgingly—admitted that was the team’s plan for him in his 21st year, to keep his minutes lower with an eye toward the postseason.
Here’s what LeBron’s minutes totals have been in the six games since then: 35, 39 (including overtime), 33, 42 (overtime again), 35 and 37.
