clyde21 wrote:baldur wrote:ORLMagicGirl15 wrote:You know what is interesting, the entire season you talk about load management only to lose them in game 1 of the first round.
proves how useless load management is.
still no one has ever been able to provide any data that load management leads to less injury. it's all theoretical nonsense without any actual proof or justification.
I also think it is nearly impossible to have good definitive data on it. The players who need it (ie Vucevic played all 82 this year and not injury prone) are generally oft injured or long in the tooth. How do you divided the data though? Take MJ do you take his early career or his Wizards career to gauge the injuries. Opposite might be for Grant Hill whose Early career was fine, his prime oft injured and then ended up fairly healthy in his twilight career.
Pop and the Spurs are the prime example of the trend, but Pops was generally right in that as Duncan, Manu and Parker for the most part had logged a lot of minutes and he wanted them fresh for the playoffs. The problem is now that it is starting game 1 in the season etc. Still I think LeBron at his age should be load managed. Kawhi needs to be because of his overall condition. You got a guy like DDR who is pretty durable throughout his career so he doesn't need it. It is absolutely overused though and I think depending on the player that the time off not staying in game shape is more detrimental than it would be playing the games. LeBron I get it as I said and he stays in game shape. Would Leonard be better if he tried an 82 game schedule? Maybe, maybe not hard to say. Has the whole situation gotten out of hand and become a joke? Yes it has. I do think it has value though, but it is more of a case by case thing than what it has evolved into as a standard for all.