Adam Silver talks load management, calls out Spurs executive

[life_saver]

why can't they just get rid of back to backs?

[G R E Y]

Not faked, Robinson was held back from returning so that Popovich could tank for Duncan after he fired Bob Hill.
1994-1996, Bob Hill: 124 wins-58 losses

It's as if Robinson was the only impactful Spur with injuries...

And how did Hill fare the rest of his NBA coaching career?

How did Popovich do before he got Timmy?

You mean when the team was depleted with injuries and still the Cs had a higher chance of landing TD?

[Tor_Raps]

It's amazing to me that guys who get paid $20M/yr to play a six month season aren't able to show up for huge numbers of games.

I get resting your guys against Orlando or OKC a couple times per year, but the thing where guys take off 20 games is pathetic and should be a breach of contract.

OKC and Orlando fans want to be entertained too

They need to provide entertainment to the other teams too... it goes both ways lol

[Dooley]

IDK why the league thinks it's better for the fan experience if players miss games due to injury as opposed to missing games due to load management

[Tor_Raps]

I don't think people get upset with load managing old guys as much as they do with guys in their friggin primes. Pelicans load managed Zion from the start and set a horrible precedence for him. It could be why his fat ass has struggled to stay on the court because it honestly doesn't even matter... he'll get paid either way.

[-Sammy-]

He's not wrong.

I remember the time this started when Pop didn't play Duncan, Parker, Manu or Danny Green in a nationally televised game against the Heatles back in 2012. Not just that, but Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Green weren't even in the building. They were already on a plane back to San Antonio. The NBA was livid.

The starless Spurs played well but that's not the point. Ticket prices are high and the fans expect to see stars at those prices.

The Spurs were playing their fourth game in five nights at the tail end of a six-game road trip, while the defending-champion-Heat were coming off a four-day break. I wonder if there's ever been a more defensible case for giving old players the night off of a late-November RS game.

[-Sammy-]

It's as if Robinson was the only impactful Spur with injuries...

And how did Hill fare the rest of his NBA coaching career?

How did Popovich do before he got Timmy?

You mean when the team was depleted with injuries and still the Cs had a higher chance of landing TD?

Not that it matters, but Pop's winning percentage in that injury-riddled season was still notably-higher than Hill's (0.266% > 0.166% [17-47, compared to Hill's 3-15]).

[sp6r=underrated]

Load management is a natural progression in sports and calling out the Spurs is scapegoating IMO.

In baseball, pitching complete games is becoming rare (top by a pitcher was only 3 last season). Not long ago, a 4-man pitching rotation was the norm, now it's 5. Why? Because players need recovery time to be at optimum. In the NBA, players don't go full out all the time and pace themselves as a form of self load management. Now it's just being institutionalized by teams.

If Silver wants to put his money where his mouth is, he can call for less games in regular season. But he won't do that because it's about gate receipts, TV contract commitments, etc. In other words, it's about money. Players don't want either because less games means less pay. So they have to "take" this recovery time in other ways, like load management. It is what it is.

Interestingly enough there's been some literature showing baseball managers are right about the pitch count but wrong about the 4 man rotation.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/22423/baseball-therapy-what-happened-to-the-four-man-rotation/

It wouldn't surprise me to learn MPG matters more than GP for injuries. Still agree with your larger point this is knowledge driven.

[sp6r=underrated]

How did Popovich do before he got Timmy?

You mean when the team was depleted with injuries and still the Cs had a higher chance of landing TD?

Not that it matters, but Pop's winning percentage in that injury-riddled season was still notably-higher than Hill's (0.266% > 0.166% [17-47, compared to Hill's 3-15]).

Yup, and to add Hill had a career outside of SA.

The Pacers improved when they fired Hill and replaced him with Larry Brown. Knicks had one of their worst seasons in the Ewing era under Hill. Sonics declined once he replaced Nate McMillian.

Bob Hill's record isn't that impressive outside of SA despite coaching HOFers (Ewing, Miller, Allen) at every stop. And in each spot others did better with the talent around em,

[DoctorX]

When the spurs did the load management stuff it was primarily to rest Duncan and Manu. They had both gotten up there in age back in 2012. Both of them were 36 and 35. They weren't in their primes. It was a great move and made logical sense and also played a role in the Spurs being able to win their 5th title with those 2 being way past their primes.

Silver has only himself to blame for this load management nonsense now occurring with young guys sitting out games. He didn't do nothing to stop Kawhi's hold out on the Spurs during the '17-'18 season which ended up setting a bad precedent for what's happening now. Silver showing again what a weak and inept leader he is by not holding himself accountable.

[levon]

I think it wasn't so much that the Spurs players deserved the rest (they did), but the manner in which this was done. Maybe there was constant communication with the Spurs and the league about the problem of overworking players and difficult schedule. Maybe there's this context we're not privy to. But I think what really gets the league upset is when it's this brazen publicity stunt without involving them, because it affects the image.

There are other examples of this: tanking and tampering. Many people and teams do it, but the ones that are punished are the ones that market or flaunt it overtly, like The Process and Magic's winking.

[dc]

Why is he calling out RC Buford when this was basically Pop's idea? Curious about that.

[Edrees]

Actually there is something more frustrating to your fans, its terrible refs who aren't held accountable for doing a poor job. lets not act like Silver cares about what fans find frustrating. As a fan when I go to a game, seeing a terribly ref'd game ruins the product more than a star or two sitting. Yet somehow this is more of a priority than reprimanding refs who do a poor job.

[SK21209]

He's not wrong.

I remember the time this started when Pop didn't play Duncan, Parker, Manu or Danny Green in a nationally televised game against the Heatles back in 2012. Not just that, but Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Green weren't even in the building. They were already on a plane back to San Antonio. The NBA was livid.

The starless Spurs played well but that's not the point. Ticket prices are high and the fans expect to see stars at those prices.

The Spurs were playing their fourth game in five nights at the tail end of a six-game road trip, while the defending-champion-Heat were coming off a four-day break. I wonder if there's ever been a more defensible case for giving old players the night off of a late-November RS game.

I've always thought Pop was so flagrant in resting those guys for that game because he wanted to give the middle finger to the league for scheduling them in Miami under those circumstances. This was still David Stern's NBA, I have no doubt he wanted the Heat to blow out the Spurs that night to feed the narrative of another Heat-Thunder, LeBron-Durant showdown in the 2013 Finals.

Ultimately, it does suck to buy tickets to a game and find out certain guys aren't playing for no real reason. Its happened to me a few times. But there's just no good way to crack down on it.

[righterwriter]

It's amazing to me that guys who get paid $20M/yr to play a six month season aren't able to show up for huge numbers of games.

I get resting your guys against Orlando or OKC a couple times per year, but the thing where guys take off 20 games is pathetic and should be a breach of contract.

Who takes off 20 games due to rest?

Numerous guys have simply chosen not to play despite being healthy (or like Zion who chose not to get himself healthy).

Kyrie last year
Kawhi for years
AD while he was in New Orleans
Kevin Love before last season
Zion last year

I'm sure there are more I can't think of off the top of my head.

[ShootersShoot]

Its a double edged sword...you make teams play "healthy" guys and now you are risking compromised playoff performance. The main issue is, how can a team dictate which players a team has to play? I think teams have been more cognizant about resting guys during nationally televised games, which is important, but they 100% should not be forced to play guys they do not want to.

[ShootersShoot]

It's amazing to me that guys who get paid $20M/yr to play a six month season aren't able to show up for huge numbers of games.

I get resting your guys against Orlando or OKC a couple times per year, but the thing where guys take off 20 games is pathetic and should be a breach of contract.

Who takes off 20 games due to rest?

Numerous guys have simply chosen not to play despite being healthy (or like Zion who chose not to get himself healthy).

Kyrie last year
Kawhi for years
AD while he was in New Orleans
Kevin Love before last season
Zion last year

I'm sure there are more I can't think of off the top of my head.

Guys refusing to play because of trade demand is just sickening, but we saw it with guys like kawhi and AD. I understand you may be unhappy with your current situation, but you are getting paid $30 million a year for chrissake.

[lonzo_pelota]

the clippers have been carrying the load management torch ever since Kawhi signed and he still suffered a catastrophic injury , which essentially says load management might not actually work.

I still am fond of the load management of the 90s and 2000s , u blow ur opponent out and rest the 3rd or 4th quarters or if your a real superstar u take it easy by sitting out practice .

Leonard has serious issues and load management is designed to hopefully get him 2-3 more healthy playoff runs before he's retired!

well load management is contagious because paul george caught what kawhi has and even marcus morris & other clippers had the pesky thing it in spurts

[dhsilv2]

the clippers have been carrying the load management torch ever since Kawhi signed and he still suffered a catastrophic injury , which essentially says load management might not actually work.

I still am fond of the load management of the 90s and 2000s , u blow ur opponent out and rest the 3rd or 4th quarters or if your a real superstar u take it easy by sitting out practice .

Leonard has serious issues and load management is designed to hopefully get him 2-3 more healthy playoff runs before he's retired!

well load management is contagious because paul george caught what kawhi has and even marcus morris & other clippers had the pesky thing it in spurts

Wonder why Paul George might have issues that make load management smart....

Watch on YouTube

[AussieCeltic]

So no one wants to point out that Tim Duncan averaged 73 games a year playing 34 minutes a game for 19 seasons. If you want to include playoffs it bumps up to 86 games a year.

I mean what more do you want Adam?