Lakers GM Elaborates On How the Short Offseason will Effect LeBron James

Published 11/20/2020, 12:45 AM EST

To begin with, the Orlando Bubble was a gigantic task for the players and franchises. And now, the new schedule for the upcoming season is simply the cherry on top. After winning the championship after a whole decade last season, LeBron James and Co. will return for the next season sooner than usual. General Manager Rob Pelinka explained how this will take a toll on their star player.

The 2020-21 campaign will commence on December 22, even though the previous season ended on October 11. This makes the situation for teams that made a deep run in the playoffs very difficult. Their players won’t receive the same amount of rest that they are used to between two seasons.

This 71-day offseason is the shortest one in the history of leagues. And whether the Lakers like it or not, they will have to be back sooner than usual if they want to defend their title. The Finals MVP, LeBron James, will enter his career’s 18th season in the NBA.

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Bron averaged a whopping 25.3 points, 10.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds last season. Although he is 35-years old, he looks fitter than most players in the league. However, President Rob Pelinka has certain views about this short offseason and how it will impact LeBron.

Is this layoff a challenge for LeBron James?

In a video conference call with reporters, Pelinka explained that keeping LeBron and others healthy would be a monumental task for the organization. He stated, “That’ll just be a balancing act throughout the season. Recognizing that there was an extremely short layoff between championship and the start of the season and kind of figuring out what’s best for LeBron, what’s best for his health, the team’s health, what’s best for the league and kind of walking that carefully and thoughtfully throughout the year.”

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Rob, however, has a lot of faith in LeBron and said, “The great thing about LeBron is he’s so methodical and scientific about how he prepares his body and the team of people he works with,” Pelinka continued. “We have had a really powerful partnership with him to maximize his performance for the playoffs and to win a championship. I think that’s always a balancing act. The great thing about the NBA and the players’ union is I think they have the same partnership lens of doing what’s best for the players and making sure that we don’t put them in positions to suffer injuries.”

It’s only a matter of time before one gets to know if Bron can overcome this challenge. Do you think this short layoff will make it tougher for the Lakers to get another title?

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Written by:

Yashima Bhatia is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports who specialises in providing nuanced predictions and updates for matches. She has a Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Yashima's love for playing the game came up at a young age, when the excitement of the games coupled with the intensity of the Playoffs had her hooked.

Lakers GM Elaborates On How the Short Offseason will Effect LeBron James

Is this layoff a challenge for LeBron James?

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