The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to limit the minutes of its leading players LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Will this affect the team's bid for another Finals run next season?
In a report by Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, the Cavs will reportedly cut down King James' minutes next season in an aim to lengthen the reign of the basketball royalty.
"One of the team's regular-season goals is to cut down the minutes for LeBron James," Pluto wrote on the site.
Last regular season, LBJ averaged his lowest minutes per game at 36.1. It was also the season wherein he played the least number of games at 69, this is followed by his 2007-08 season when he played 75 games in a 82-game season.
Notably, Pluto also noted that Cavs point guard Irving will see limited play as well. This is primarily because of the injuries the player has been hit with the past season. After missing a few games due to an ankle injury, he had to miss five of the six NBA Finals game due to a knee cap injury that needed surgery.
While the reasons for limiting the players' numbers seem reasonable, doing so may affect the team's performance this coming year. Last season, James and Irving were the highest pointers of the Cavs at 25.3 and 21.7 ppg respectively. Should they have limited minutes, players like recently re-signed JR Smith and Kevin Love will definitely have to step up.
Moreover, if the team falls in the ranks, David Blatt may need to rethink this decision and let the two play more minutes.