LeBron James' return to NBA action is looming for the Los Angeles Lakers.
It may happen Tuesday night, with James listed as questionable, or it may happen very soon.
Either way, it's a big deal. The Lakers have played the entire season without the league's all-time leading scorer.
It's Luka Doncic's team now, yes, but LeBron is still LeBron.
There are questions to be answered even once the King gets back on the court, though. One of them centers around his minutes.
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Is LeBron James on a minutes restriction?
There's been no public news of a minutes restriction for James, but it seems safe to expect the Lakers to at least monitor how much James plays in the early going.
After all, this is a 40-year old forward who missed the season's first month with sciatica on his right side. And it's not the playoffs, it's just November, so there's more downside than upside right now to L.A. Pushing James to the limit.
Lakers coach JJ Redick has said previously that when James is up to speed, he'll play about 35 minutes per game.
James has previously expressed displeasure at minutes limits. The Netflix documentary Starting 5 once showed James saying, "I hate this s--- already," in a game in which he only was given 29 minutes.
Redick could indicate in his pregame press conference if there are any such plans for James. That also requires him to actually be active on Tuesday and not questionable. But whenever James returns, the Lakers will surely be careful with the all-time great.
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