Power Puff Kawhi is out again - Load Management Folks, Folk You!

[J-Wolves]

Here we go again folks.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/kawhi-leonard-wont-play-against-bucks-and-the-nba-is-fine-with-it/ar-AAJUBiQ

I am not bitter because I took him at pick 17 in my fantasy draft but this is ridiculous. The NBA makes it up as they go along with who is fined and who is not.
Why not just play the guy very limited minutes in certain games (mostly in the second half when it counts) instead of sitting out games, let me guess it would affect his stats per game so he wont do it - pathetic.

[Dr Spaceman]

If it means he is healthy enough to make it through the playoffs I don’t care at all. I just don’t want any more playoff series decided by injury; I still haven’t recovered from Chris Paul’s hamstring tear.

[grindtime22]

Does he have something against ESPN?

2nd national tv game on ESPN that he will miss. You would think the choice would be to play against the Bucks and sit against the Blazers.

He plays a back to back against the Rockets and Pelicans on the 13th/14th. The Rockets game is on ESPN.

[Wagonband]

I dunno man... If a "hated" player by the media would do something like this he would be destroyed by them and the fans. Imagine a healthy Durant this season in BKN sitting out games for "rest"... People would lose it

[Johnny Bball]

It is what it is with him. But I have to wonder why Rivers and Leonard both said that there would be no load management and he planned on playing all 82. I mean, that didn’t last 5 games, they had to know they planned otherwise.

[evilpimp972]

This is getting ridiculous.

[aboveAverage]

The Clippers and Kawhi have every right to keep Kawhi healthy and rested throughout the season. It worked out pretty well for Toronto last year.

I just wish they would shorten the season to 60 games. That would improve the quality of the regular season and would reduce load management.

[Gus McCrae]

For the Milwaukee game right? That’s a game everyone wants to see also and they only play each other twice a year.

[J-Wolves]

Kawhi gets a pass because of last season finals MVP.
If a player is injured fair enough don't rush them back don't take any chances.
Kawhi is not injured though and after the clippers 8th game he has already been rested for 2 games - that is why it is ridiculous. Kawhi is a low minutes high impact player (30 minutes per game) for his career.

[LukaV]

Eliminate back-to-backs, shorten the season already, eliminate games played in China, UK,... But no, the powers to be want to have their cake and eat it to, all at the expense of players' health.

[lambchop]

Kawhi gets a pass because of last season finals MVP.
If a player is injured fair enough don't rush them back don't take any chances.
Kawhi is not injured though and after the clippers 8th game he has already been rested for 2 games - that is why it is ridiculous. Kawhi is a low minutes high impact player (30 minutes per game) for his career.

But it simply works. And imo more teams need to apply this method. If the Kawhi were to play 20 games and win thr chip while harden plays 78 and loses in the WCF, the narrative would still be that harden is weak.

[J-Wolves]

Kawhi gets a pass because of last season finals MVP.
If a player is injured fair enough don't rush them back don't take any chances.
Kawhi is not injured though and after the clippers 8th game he has already been rested for 2 games - that is why it is ridiculous. Kawhi is a low minutes high impact player (30 minutes per game) for his career.

But it simply works. And imo more teams need to apply this method. If the Kawhi were to play 20 games and win thr chip while harden plays 78 and loses in the WCF, the narrative would still be that harden is weak.

It shows how meaningless these regular season games are and devalues the product as a whole. It also leaves a bitter taste for fans. Personally I would rather just see him play in the 2nd half of several games instead. He wouldnt get the career start and with limited minutes it would bring his numbers (average points etc) down so it probably wont happen because stats mean everything to the majority of nba players - imagine harden accepting limited minutes.

[Scuall]

Kawhi gets a pass because of last season finals MVP.
If a player is injured fair enough don't rush them back don't take any chances.
Kawhi is not injured though and after the clippers 8th game he has already been rested for 2 games - that is why it is ridiculous. Kawhi is a low minutes high impact player (30 minutes per game) for his career.

But it simply works. And imo more teams need to apply this method. If the Kawhi were to play 20 games and win thr chip while harden plays 78 and loses in the WCF, the narrative would still be that harden is weak.

Then shorten the regular season. The Clippers are a premium team now, and the average fan paying for a ticket is paying to see the stars.

[ajones9219]

The nba will never shorten the season. Too much money lost. There needs to be a system though. If a player cant prove an injury he has to pay. Its outrageous that the league expects us to pay to watch games on league pass and pay for tickets and then allow star players to sit and collect a check

[letsgorockets]

I realize how annoying it can be to fans, particularly if you bought a ticket to see that superstar come play in your town and it might be his only game there the entire year. But he did load manage his way to a title last year, so if there's one player I'm not gonna give any **** to about it, it's Kawhi. If he plays 60 games and that enables him to be fresh and healthy through the payoffs, isn't that the point? I just wish the NBA would rule that a healthy player has to use their rest games on home games. Don't cheat the paying customer in Orlando who just wants to see whoever come play the one chance they have. Home fans have 41 chances, and potentially the playoffs, so take the rest games there.

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using RealGM mobile app

[Greyhound]

I realize how annoying it can be to fans, particularly if you bought a ticket to see that superstar come play in your town and it might be his only game there the entire year. But he did load manage his way to a title last year, so if there's one player I'm not gonna give any **** to about it, it's Kawhi. If he plays 60 games and that enables him to be fresh and healthy through the payoffs, isn't that the point? I just wish the NBA would rule that a healthy player has to use their rest games on home games. Don't cheat the paying customer in Orlando who just wants to see whoever come play the one chance they have. Home fans have 41 chances, and potentially the playoffs, so take the rest games there.

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using RealGM mobile app

This is nonsense. That guy gets away with murder.

If it were LeBron (in year 17, no less) pulling this mess, RealGM servers would be preparing for a crash.

[WHITE_HOT_HEAT]

Ridiculous pass given to this guy. I don't want to hear anyone say anything about any other player being soft or so. KAT, Lebron, Embiid and all their shenanigans are better than this travesty.

All you got to do is rest all the way till the playoffs and then you have an immense advantage compared to others carrying their teams into the playoffs. Start fining playoff games once you've taken games off for load management in the regular season. 2 games off for load management = 1 playoff game and so on.

[Barnzy]

If LeBron did this then every ESPN show and media outlet would call it crazy and ask him to be fined/suspended. There would be about 10 threads on this forum too.

Poor fragile Kawhi at the old age of 28 is fine though. LeBron at ripe age of nearly 35 clearly has no excuses.

[dynamic duo]

kawhi taking the easy road yet again. embarrassing how anti-competitive this guy is. he has been playing his whole career on historically super stacked teams and has not won one legit finals mvp. other star players have to carry their teams in the regular season while this fraud is resting up for the playoffs.

[Simmons25]

Last year I could understand it because of that injury but this year?? Soft.