Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James is preparing for his 14th NBA season and a title defense with his hometown team.
While there aren't any stretches of the schedule that force the Cavaliers to play four games in five nights, there are a number of instances in which James and Co. will be playing three games in four nights. According to McMenamin, they also have "two five-in-seven stretches."
For a team that's again favored to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals—with 3-1 odds to win its second straight title, per Odds Shark—it will be imperative to keep James healthy.
That could mean giving him a night off or two during those busy spells in the regular season to ensure that he is as close to 100 percent as possible for the playoffs.
But Lue might have some trouble convincing James to sit, as No. 23 described himself as "stubborn," per McMenamin:
James, who has never played all 82 games in a season, sat out six times last year to rest. His 2,709 total minutes represented his lowest mark for a regular season in which he appeared in 75-plus games.
However, it worked out, as it was the sixth consecutive time that James appeared in the NBA Finals, which resulted in Cleveland's first-ever league title and James' third ring:
Playing nearly 100 games per season takes a toll on the body, though, which James said he realizes, per McMenamin:
As long as the year ends with another championship, regular-season minutes will be irrelevant to all parties involved.
With the defending Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors having added Kevin Durant over the offseason, James might have to elevate his play to another level if the Cavaliers advance to their third straight Finals, so freshness down the stretch could be key.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
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