When the Philadelphia 76ers dropped their injury report for the matchup against the Toronto Raptors, LeBron James was among two new names added, joining the veteran center, Joel Embiid.
Seeing Embiid and James on the injury report isn't a rare sight this season. At least early on, the 76ers are going to do all they can to manage the minutes of their frontcourt stars, who have nagging setbacks to deal with. In LeBron's case, sciatica management is his injury designation. He is questionable to play.
Here's what's different about Thursday night's situation, though: the Sixers aren't entering a back-to-back set. So far this season, the 76ers have only utilized rest nights for James when there were two games in a row.
LeBron took off a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, which was the first matchup of a back-to-back set, before returning to face the Detroit Pistons on October 25. LeBron played three games in a row before getting his second night off. He clocked in for 34 minutes against the New York Knicks for NBA Cup action, before resting against the Charlotte Hornets the following night.
Since then, LeBron hasn't missed a game.
Clear signs of a much-needed rest night
At 41, LeBron James should be entitled to a rest night whenever he needs or wants it. With a long 82-game season playing out, the priority for the 76ers is getting to the playoffs healthy.
Obviously, they want to find a healthy balance during the regular season. The Sixers can't neglect this valuable time; having all of their stars on the court before the games carry more weight. You can't rest guys for long periods and have them pick up with excellent chemistry without actually developing it first.
And considering the 76ers have been far from perfect under that pretty 9-3 record, they surely will continue to take advantage of everybody being at full health for as long as they can during the regular season.
But James' recent three-game stretch should call for a night off, despite the lack of a back-to-back. When the Sixers paid a visit to the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 6, James had his worst showing of the year. He scored just eight points. James had only three assists, while turning the ball over for a season-high six times.
While LeBron bounced back with his highest-scoring outing of the year, dropping 22 points against a struggling Chicago Bulls team on the road, James was back with an underwhelming showing against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. James shot just 4-for-12 from the field, scoring 11 points. He took care of the ball, posting only one turnover, but had a quiet night with his playmaking, producing five assists.
Efficiency has dipped during the three-game stretch, and turnovers are coming almost as frequently as assists. The 76ers should consider giving LeBron the night off, which would allow him four days off before the Sunday outing at home against the Indiana Pacers. Then, James could sit out the following night for additional rest before the November 18 road trip to Orlando.
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