For all of our stressing and complaining (including myself) about LeBron's minutes...
2015-16: 35.6 MPG, 76/82 games played, 2708 minutes total
2016-17: 37.6 MPG, 63/69 games played, 2365 minutes total
There are 13 games left in the season. If the Cavs want LeBron at last year's total or around it, that means he would play another 343 minutes.
We have three back-to-backs, however I don't think LeBron will rest a game in all three, maybe one or two. I do think he will rest the last two games of the season, provided we have the 1 seed locked up.
Let's say he rests 4 more games out of 13. If he plays at his current MPG for 9 more games, that's another 338 minutes (37.6 x 9), which puts him at 2703 total minutes for the season, less than last year. Even if he plays another game, he's at 2741 total minutes...not much more than last year.
Maybe the plan all along was to just make sure he gets around the same total minutes as last year...