It seems like load management has been a problem in the NBA lately. Most notably, the discussion has surrounded Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers. At the beginning of the season he missed two straight nationally televised games due to load management. He ended up missing three straight games in the middle of this month due to a knee injury.
Many thought of the Clippers’ precautions of Leonard’s knee injury was just another load management situation but that wasn’t the case. According to ESPN though, the league is making changes in how teams should operate with load management. It is now classified as resting and that a healthy player is taking the night off.
The NBA added that if a player rests from a particular game and it violates the resting policy, his team can get penalized. These new rules also helps to prevent players from sitting out “high-profile” naturally televised games as well. The league also doesn’t want teams to rest multiple star players in the same game.
As far as injuries go, teams have to submit documentary proof into a league-supervised portal. These have to be issued from trainers and doctors. Emphasis on regulations with load management with national TV games are different when it comes to them either being aired on ESPN or NBATV as well. Flexing some of these games where teams are dealing with injuries are being discussed too. The Warriors have some of the worst injury bugs in the league so this can be applied for them.
In the end, if players are healthy and good to go to play, load management shouldn’t be applied to them. They need to be able to play back to backs. No excuses.
Flip the page to check out takes on ESPN and Undisputed on Kawhi’s load management situation.