Lakers Scrap Shootarounds as January Grind Tests LeBron’s Availability

January is arriving quickly for the Los Angeles Lakers, and it is doing so without mercy. After a relatively spaced-out December schedule shaped by the NBA Cup, the team now faces a stretch that includes games nearly every other day and two sets of back-to-backs before the end of the month.

Recognizing the physical toll ahead, head coach JJ Redick announced that the Lakers will no longer hold morning shootarounds on game days. The move is part of a broader effort to manage workload and ensure the roster — particularly LeBron James — can withstand what Redick described as the team’s most taxing month of the season.

The decision was not reactionary. Redick said the coaching staff reached the conclusion nearly two weeks earlier, understanding that the usual rhythms of preparation had to change in light of the personnel on the roster and the demands of the calendar.

At the heart of the adjustment is a 41-year-old superstar whose health has become a central variable in the Lakers’ hopes of staying competitive in the Western Conference.

1. Protecting the Engine

Redick made clear that James was the primary consideration behind canceling shootarounds. The logic was simple: avoid placing additional strain on a player whose availability is already carefully monitored. Asking James to be on his feet twice on game days, Redick said, no longer made sense. Since returning in November after a nerve injury, James has not played in any back-to-back games. He has already missed 17 contests this season, a number that places him in jeopardy of falling short of the NBA’s 65-game threshold required for postseason honors. With two back-to-back sets scheduled this month, the likelihood grows that James’ streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA selections — one of the longest and most remarkable runs in league history — could come to an end. For the Lakers, the stakes are both immediate and historical. Balancing the desire to compete nightly with the responsibility to safeguard their franchise cornerstone has become a delicate exercise in restraint.

2. A Star Still Producing

Despite the missed time, James has remained productive when he has been available. He has appeared in 19 games, averaging just over 33 minutes per night and posting 21.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.9 assists, along with 1.1 steals. His efficiency numbers reflect a player who can still dictate outcomes: 51 percent from the field, 32 percent from beyond the arc and just over 70 percent from the free-throw line. The workload, however, has been deliberately managed to avoid flare-ups that could sideline him for longer stretches. This is not load management in the abstract. It is a targeted attempt to keep James effective late in games and later in the season, even if it comes at the cost of availability on certain nights. The Lakers understand that a diminished but present LeBron is more valuable than a fully taxed one who risks extended absence, a philosophy that now extends even to pregame routines.

3. Navigating a Crowded Calendar

The challenge is not limited to January. The first half of February also features a compressed schedule leading into the All-Star break, further tightening the margin for error. At the same time, the Lakers are shorthanded, with Austin Reaves still sidelined by a calf injury and no definitive timetable for his return. Redick acknowledged that this portion of the season was always expected to be difficult. The Lakers were front-loaded early in the year, settled into a more balanced stretch, and are now facing another surge of high-frequency games. For the coaching staff, it is a matter of reading the team and adapting in real time. The immediate test comes in the form of a back-to-back that opens Monday in Sacramento before the Lakers return home the following night to face the Atlanta Hawks. It is the type of sequence that will define whether the shootaround change delivers the intended benefit. As the calendar tightens, the Lakers are betting that fewer hours on the court before tipoff will translate into more energy when the games actually matter.