TheCage4 wrote:Thibs has the Knicks starters playing a million minutes. It's OG now, and I wouldn't be surprised to see either Brunson or Hart go down too.
Thibs had Butler/Deng playing 40+ mpg -- Deng leading the league in mins over 3 seasons and Butler playing 48 mins in 5 of 7 playoff games at one point.
He had both Wiggins and KAT
both play 82 games each in back-to-back seasons -- both for 37 mpg. Taj Gibson also joined him and played 82 games and over 33 mins (in his 30s)
There have been dozens of studies on load management but the correlation to injury is VERY weak.
There is some correlating data to support an argument that fewer minutes allows for "longer" career (in age).
Even assuming that's true -- which would you rather do?
1) Have a guy like Hart use his minutes NOW to play meaningful playoff games as a star in his prime athletic years?
OR
2) Reduce Hart's minutes today and give them to Alec Burks (while paying Hart the same higher prime age salary slot now), and save him so he can have a better chance to be the 12th man at age 39 for someone else?