The NBA has made it clear heading into the 2023-24 season that it needs to curb “load administration”, a time period coined by the Raptors again in 2018-19 whereas attempting to handle Kawhi Leonard’s quad damage after he solely appeared in 9 video games for the Spurs the prior season. The apply has spiraled uncontrolled since then, and new efforts to fight it embody a 65-game minimal for All-NBA groups and most particular person NBA awards (however not Rookie of the 12 months, for some motive) and fines for groups who abuse the apply, particularly throughout nationally televised video games.
Though this runs counter what Adam Silver stated again in the course of the All-Star break — that he didn’t imagine load administration was uncontrolled and “there may be actual medical knowledge and scientific knowledge about what’s acceptable,” — the NBA’s vice chairman of basketball operations Joe Dumars not too long ago informed The Athletic it’s not supported by science.
“Earlier than, it was a given conclusion that the info confirmed that you just needed to relaxation gamers a specific amount, and that justified them sitting out. We’ve gotten extra knowledge, and it simply doesn’t present that resting, sitting guys out correlates with lack of accidents, or fatigue, or something like that. What it does present is perhaps guys aren’t as environment friendly on the second night time of a back-to-back.”
One factor that isn’t confirmed is what precisely this “science” is, the statistics behind it, and why this contradicts what Silver stated simply 8 months in the past. Does the “science” present that gamers are performing the identical on sooner or later of relaxation in comparison with two (or extra)? Is it displaying accidents are occurring no matter how rested a participant is — in different phrases, accidents occur and there’s no discernable distinction in them occurring on gamers beneath load administration vs. not? We don’t know as a result of they didn’t say.
After all, there may be the opposite elephant within the room that was mentioned in the identical NBA board assembly is the TV contract, and Dumars did say they want to see gamers get again to enjoying in all 82 video games, as was the case again throughout his enjoying days with the Detroit Dangerous Boys within the 80’s and 90’s, when he appeared in 79 or extra video games 6 occasions in his profession, together with 82 3 times.
It’s definitely attention-grabbing that the league selected now to return out with this new “scientific proof” however with out offering the info to again it up and a brand new face talking for them. Regardless, although Gregg Popovich and the Spurs (in addition to the Clippers with Leonard and Paul George) have grow to be posterchildren for the apply through the years, the excellent news is that they’re younger and revving to go once more, so hopefully it received’t be as huge of a difficulty for viewers because it was in the course of the getting old Large Three period or final yr when (all of us knew that the tip purpose was).
On the brilliant facet, Dumars did point out that perhaps the product on the court docket is diminished on back-to-backs, so perhaps that can encourage the league to revisit scheduling, shorten the season to 70 video games, eradicate extra back-to-backs, and many others. going ahead. As a result of if the final word purpose is to fulfill viewers and broadcasters with the very best product, perhaps when it comes time to barter a brand new TV deal (the present as soon as expires after 2024-25), they’ll persuade the networks that a little bit bit much less may go a really good distance.
