Load Management

[True Lakers Fan]

You play when you are healthy, or you are a pussy. Period.

That's not sound medical advice and professional trainers would disagree, but I think this disappears by eliminating back to back games combined with playing less minutes each game.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

She told me you were still a nice kid, but needed me to handle that stuff.

He really walked into that one

 

[True Lakers Fan]

He thinks we're stupid and we don't remember the times he sat out for "rest".

Some people don't like to get in arguments with the news media and I've seen some that simply don't have a good long term memory form details like that

 

[thunderc]

That's not sound medical advice and professional trainers would disagree, but I think this disappears by eliminating back to back games combined with playing less minutes each game.

I said healthy. The fn players shouldn’t be allowed to run the league.

 

[Black Adam]

NOPE. You're WRONG. Just BECAUSE you type it doesn't MAKE it true. TF was saying load MANAGEMENT might help players avoid injury BY putting less strain on them, and you countered WITH a comment about not being able to predict when injuries HAPPEN. Which HAS nothing to do with the topic.

ok, go with your opinion. whatever helps you sleep at night...

 

[msgkings322]

ok, go with your opinion. whatever helps you sleep at night...

Nah your mom does that.

 

[Black Adam]

Nah your mom does that.

ah, cool...

well, let's see. she's been dead since March of '85, so i truly hope the 2 of you had a grand ol' time...

#yasickbastid

 

[msgkings322]

ah, cool...

well, let's see. she's been dead since March of '85, so i truly hope the 2 of you had a grand ol' time...

#yasickbastid

Keeps her quiet

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I said healthy. The fn players shouldn’t be allowed to run the league.

From what I saw when Phil Jackson coached, it was his decision and not Kobe's. Popovich did the same thing. Tim Duncan never ran the show. Granted that none of them should be allowed to run it, my point is this

Every professional trainers will tell you after a serious work out, your body needs to rest, so if I do my bench press work Monday as planned, then I need to wait until Wed to repeat. In my opinion, keep them playing, but simply cut down on their minutes instead. That is the way I would manage older players past their prime or players who are steal healing from injuries.

Leonard is not 100 Percent and they are managing his minutes for that reason.

 

[MHSL82]

It depends on what you think the NBA challenge tests. If you believe the NBA champion is the team who is fought through 82 games and through that wear and tear was strong enough to beat the other teams, load management makes a bunch of those players more fresh than those who battled through.

But I also think that a champion shouldn’t have to battle through all those games and beat a team that rested. So unless you had an even playing field, you need to make the best decision. There’s something about putting through a long season. But I don’t expect people to wear themselves out and then back off.

Having said that, I’d rather have my favorite player play 17 years instead of 14 and they prolong their careers even though every season will have fewer games played. Lower minutes would lengthen careers but it would make averages go down.

 

[trojanfan12]

I said healthy. The fn players shouldn’t be allowed to run the league.

See, as I said, I tend to be old school and think that if you can walk, you can play.

Having said that, there is also plenty of evidence that players taking some time off during the season is good for them. Especially star players who are going to have higher usage rates than just about any other player.

Back in the day, they didn't have AAU, etc. so players didn't come into the league with the kind of mileage on them that players do now.

As a Lakers fan, if sitting Lebron for a few games during the season means he's rested and healthy in the playoffs, I won't like it. But I'm not gonna complain too much.

 

[Robotech]

Not sure how you can stop it. Even if the league banned it, you'll just see guys sitting out with left hamstring soreness, a contusion, or knee pain. I would guess that most NBA players have at least some pain in their knees.

 

[trojanfan12]

Not sure how you can stop it. Even if the league banned it, you'll just see guys sitting out with left hamstring soreness, a contusion, or knee pain. I would guess that most NBA players have at least some pain in their knees.

Exactly.

There are all kinds of minor ailments/injuries that a team could claim a player has that there's really now way to prove aren't true.

 

[tducey]

I don't mind it. Players get injured and should get some rest. What's more important? A Wednesday game in November or the playoffs?

 

[True Lakers Fan]

See, as I said, I tend to be old school and think that if you can walk, you can play.

Having said that, there is also plenty of evidence that players taking some time off during the season is good for them. Especially star players who are going to have higher usage rates than just about any other player.

Back in the day, they didn't have AAU, etc. so players didn't come into the league with the kind of mileage on them that players do now.

As a Lakers fan, if sitting Lebron for a few games during the season means he's rested and healthy in the playoffs, I won't like it. But I'm not gonna complain too much.

Im of the opinion that rest is appropriate on the second night of back to back games or less minutes. One can go overboard

 

[Robotech]

Exactly.

There are all kinds of minor ailments/injuries that a team could claim a player has that there's really now way to prove aren't true.

This will never happen, but the only way to really fix this is to make regular season games matter more than they do now. Maybe cut down the playoff field to 4 teams each conference. Or 6 teams each conference with the top 2 given a bye and the first round a single elimination. Or keep the 8 teams each conference, but make home court advantage be 5 possible home games out of 7.

 

[trojanfan12]

This will never happen, but the only way to really fix this is to make regular season games matter more than they do now. Maybe cut down the playoff field to 4 teams each conference. Or 6 teams each conference with the top 2 given a bye and the first round a single elimination. Or keep the 8 teams each conference, but make home court advantage be 5 possible home games out of 7.

Yeah, no way they make those changes. Anything involving fewer games is going to cost teams and players money, so they'll never go for it.

Same with 5 of 7 home games. That will cost them money that comes from a home playoff game.

Honestly, I'm not sure it needs to be fixed other than maybe teams announcing load management games before the season starts and/or the league creating a rule re: how many games a player is allowed to sit out for load management.

 

[msgkings322]

This will never happen, but the only way to really fix this is to make regular season games matter more than they do now. Maybe cut down the playoff field to 4 teams each conference. Or 6 teams each conference with the top 2 given a bye and the first round a single elimination. Or keep the 8 teams each conference, but make home court advantage be 5 possible home games out of 7.

That's hardly "the only way to really fix this"

TF's idea is pretty good, make teams preannounce rest games before the season, and also make them get approval so they can't pick marquee games

 

[Robotech]

That's hardly "the only way to really fix this"

TF's idea is pretty good, make teams preannounce rest games before the season, and also make them get approval so they can't pick marquee games

That mitigates it, but if the goal is to see these guys play more regular season games, then I don't know if that fixes it. The extreme opposite is college football. Would a national title contending team ever load management a player in any marquee matchup? I'm not really that passionate about fixing this because I don't think it's a big problem, but I just wanted to throw out some ideas.

I also like TLF's idea of reducing back to backs.

If we go with pre-announced rest games, do we force the teams to stick with that? If a team knows they can't change their minds should the game wind up being important, then maybe teams will use it more sparingly.

 

[DIKOWT DOWG]

So, load management is a thing...lol

What are folks thoughts on it? Like it? Hate it? Don't care? Only like it when it works?

I kind of see both sides of it.

I'm old school, so I'm used to and tend to lean towards, if you can walk, you play. I don't think I'll ever get used to or like load management, even though I understand the point of it. People pay good money to see the best players, networks pay huge money to broadcast the games, teammates depend on the best player playing.

It also feeds the narrative of NBA players being soft. In most other sports, it's about playing hurt, playing through pain, etc. In the NBA, guys sit because they're tired or might get tired.

On the other hand, if you're a Lakers fan....what if the Lakers could have gotten Kobe to accept load management? Maybe his Achilles doesn't explode?

Or if you're a Celtics fan...what if load management could have extended his career 2-3 more seasons?

Suns fan...what if load management could have saved Steve Nash's back?

Maybe load management is really why Kawhi was able to do what he did in the playoffs last year? He sure seems convinced.

Personally, as I said, I don't like it, but it's obviously going to continue to be a thing. So, I think that in fairness to fans and networks, if a team is going to use it...they should have to map it out and announce those games before the season starts. That way, fans can decide if they still want to spend the money and networks can switch to a different game if they see fit.

if those guys didn't put everything on the line when they did....would they be who they are? I say no.