Leonard in all likelihood will sit out at least one game of every Clippers back-to-back this seasonNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Kawhi Leonard has put the NBA's load management issue in the spotlight this week, and fans must "accept that reality won't change with the Clippers and the NBA's 29 other teams," according to Mark Medina of USA TODAY. Even if the NBA "would love to maximize its television ratings and ticket revenue, the league has increasingly accepted the practice" of players seeing a reduced workload. Besides becoming "more lenient with teams resting their players, the NBA has also adjusted its schedule." For the past three years, the NBA has "not scheduled teams to play eight games in 12 days." NBA teams this season "will play an average of 12.4 back-to-backs, a decrease from last season (13.3) and five years ago (19.3)" (USA TODAY, 11/7). CBSSPORTS.com's Brad Botkin noted the term "load management" has become "entrenched in the NBA lexicon." The Clippers plan to sit Leonard on "either the front or back end of every back-to-back they play this season, but if they do, that would be a minimum of 13 games" that he would miss. Throw in a "few more for actual injuries, and we're very likely looking at another regular season in which perhaps the best player in the world misses" 25% of his team's games (CBSSPORTS.com, 11/7).
LASTING IMPACT? SI.com's Rohan Nadkarni wondered whether load management is "bad for basketball." By all accounts, the NBA has "listened to science and its players." Back-to-backs have been "greatly reduced," and there is "more time off during the All-Star break." The preseason also "is shorter." Nadkarni: "I don't know what more the league can do. Reducing the number of games sounds easy, but then everyone makes less money." ESPN and TNT are "probably the ones who are most upset about load management." They have "already paid billions for the right to air NBA games, and they are completely powerless when a star player decides to sit out a marquee matchup" (SI.com, 11/7). In S.F., Bruce Jenkins writes when a seemingly healthy star player rests, fans "get cheated, ESPN throws a fit, and it's another awkward moment" for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. The regular season "does mean something, specifically when superstar galaxies collide." Jenkins: "You can't just write off the entire six months as a trifle. And I wouldn't count on other NBA luminaries suddenly deciding this is a great idea." The owners are "responsible for retaining the 82-game schedule, not even hearing of plans to condense, and this is their just reward: a watered-down product" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/8).
COULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING: ESPN’s Pablo Torre said the league "can’t really stop" load management "outside of massive rules changes." FS1’s Jason Whitlock said load management has been a "problem that has been obvious for a decade." If Silver had gotten "out ahead of this issue," then the league and the players’ union would be able to "reach an accord on shortening the NBA season" (“Speak For Yourself,” FS1, 11/7). ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who would infamously rest players on national TV games, and Silver "are the villains in this that allowed this to grow and blossom." The Athletic's Frank Isola pointed to initiatives the NBA had put in place to prevent this and said he "thought the idea was ... no more sitting out games on national TV" (“PTI,” ESPN, 11/7).
FAN PERSPECTIVE: ESPN’s Bomani Jones said of Leonard, "I don’t think (fans) care why he’s not playing." They "pay for a ticket or they tune in and they see that Kawhi Leonard’s not there, then the problem is going to exist" (“High Noon,” ESPN, 11/7). ESPN’s Kornheiser said the net is "trying to sell ratings on the fact that this is not a helmet league" and there are stars in the NBA fans "want to see" (“PTI,” ESPN, 11/7). FS1’s Chris Canty said the NBA with its statements on the issue is "trying to protect their relationship with their business partners" (“First Things First,” FS1, 11/8). TNT’s Reggie Miller noted the Celtics had three key players -- Gordon Haywood, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker -- each play 29 minutes last night, and said, "This is your load management. ... That’s how it used to be" (“Celtics-Hornets,” TNT, 11/7).
