Lakers HC JJ Redick not concerned about LeBron James, Anthony Davis' workload

After a few injury-riddled years, LeBron James and Anthony Davis each played over 70 games last season for the first time as Lakers teammates. Yet, the franchise finished as the seventh seed and suffered a first-round playoff exit.

It must have been gut-wrenching for the Lakers to achieve minimal success despite a healthy season for their two co-stars. Entering the 2024-25 season, the odds of the aging duo staying healthy through another campaign are slim, especially given their recent participation at the Paris Games.

Their new head coach, JJ Redick, is not concerned with their workload. In an interview with the "Lakeshow" podcast, Redick said he expects his co-stars to be full participants in training camp. 

"I mean, look, those guys are professionals in every sense of the word," Redick said of James and Davis. "My concern for them about whether or not they'll be ready to play on Oct. 22 and be in shape, I don't have that concern. We're gonna work with [athletic trainer] Mike [Mancias] and Ish [associate athletic trainer Jon Ishop], making sure that they feel that they're in a great place to start the regular season. They'll certainly be involved in training camp and the preseason even here in September as well as preseason games."

While Redick's optimism is laudable, it can't be denied that both James and Davis have been injury-prone in recent years. Between the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons, James and Davis missed 80 and 104 games, respectively, impacting the Lakers' chances of making noise in the postseason. 

Can James and Davis defy the odds and stay healthy for a second consecutive year?

With Redick expected to lean heavily into analytics, the Lakers could resort to "load management" to conserve the health of their stars. However, they don't necessarily have the luxury of sitting out James or Davis for extended periods, especially in the crowded Western Conference. 

The Lakers are projected to win 44.5 games this season, a year after winning 47. The oddsmakers don't have ample faith in James, 39, and Davis, 31, to enjoy another healthy season.