LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been benched by the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of their Monday night matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, which is a game that the team has to win. This is a very odd move by the Lakers. Given that the game just finished a day of rest, this has sparked a lot of doubts.
The Lakers could be prioritizing the game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night and not play their stars in back-to-back games. However, many fans are also theorizing that this decision has been taken because the Lakers are protesting the referee’s mistakes in recent games by benching their stars for a national TV game.
The Lakers could be prioritizing the game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night and not play their stars in back-to-back games. However, many fans are also theorizing that this decision has been taken because the Lakers are protesting the referee’s mistakes in recent games by benching their stars for a national TV game.
The Lakers have been dealt a horrible hand with a tough loss against the Boston Celtics that could have ended with an LA win if not for a missed foul by Jayson Tatum on LeBron James. In addition, giving LeBron and AD rest, given their workload and injury history, respectively, may make sense, especially with a game the next night as well.
Should LeBron James Be Sitting Games?
The Lakers have not been a good team without LeBron James or Anthony Davis on the floor, but they have one win with both players out this season. With Rui Hachimura also on the squad, the team will hope to come out swinging and take a big win before the two stars come back for a marquee matchup against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.
A loss would further hurt the Lakers’ chances of breaking into the playoffs, but resting LeBron and ensuring he can play well in future games may give them a better chance. Sitting on a national TV game could also be an added message to the league, but it doesn’t look like that should play as much of a factor as load management.
Source: https://fadeawayworld.net
