David Blatt Wants to Reduce LeBron James’ Minutes

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt plans to be extra-careful with superstar LeBron James’ playing time this season.

Blatt says that LeBron’s career average of 39.5 minutes per game is too high for his liking, and that he’d like to keep James on the bench a bit longer going forward.

Per the NOMG:

“I don’t have a number but I am cognizant of the fact and we are conscious of the fact that, certainly early on 39 minutes a game is a lot,” Blatt said following practice Sunday. “We gotta keep our wits about us in terms of thinking long term with LeBron.”

 

James is the league’s active leader in minutes per game and ranks sixth all time. He averaged about 38 minutes in his four seasons with the Miami Heat and last year logged 37.7 minutes – sixth in the league.

 

James’ chief running mate in Miami, Dwyane Wade, played about 1,200 fewer minutes last season, placing even more stress on James, who nursed a sore back at times this preseason and early last year. In his 11 pro seasons, he’s added 158 playoff games.