Game 8: Bucks at Clips - 9:00 - FSN/ESPN - Kawhi Out

[chonestown]

i think we can all be sure that if the season was 60 games next year Kawhi would still be managing his load all over the league.

He's back, folks.

Extended load management. Truly, a pioneer.

[paulpressey25]

A few of you have referenced the Clippers doing the load management. I think this situation is clearly on Kawhi. He's told teams (starting with the Spurs) that he doesn't want to play all 82 games.

It is an interesting precedent. I'm not for or against load management. It does seem like there is a correlation with injuries and body overload, starting with AAU.

That said, I can't see guys like Jordan, Magic, LeBron, Shaq, etc. taking themselves out of this game. The world knows this is a marquee matchup. Those guys would never think of resting tonight, especially since this is the front end of the B2B.

[BuckFan25226]

But you know this going when you buy the product as a risk. When I bought UW at OSU tickets I knew a risk is that it would be bad weather. you buy a sports ticket knowing that a player could be injured, resting, wife having a baby, etc.

I agree. This is always a risk with injuries, but this is apples and oranges.

Unfortunately, this is the new reality now. Which will undoubtedly hurt the league financially.


Look at this from back in Septemeber...

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/clippers-say-kawhi-leonards-load-management-wont-be-as-strict-as-it-was-with-toronto-per-report/

This is such a hard thing to manage. If you truly enforce no load management. Players will have to start faking injuries instead.

No its not. When talking about it from the ticket buying product perspective as was brought up here, everyone knows this going when you buy the product. Injuries, illness, rest, wife having baby, etc. It's not a bait and switch as was implied. Everyone knows this now.

Yes it is. I understand that people now should know this could happen. However it's not the same as an injury, illness, family emergency.

Regardless of whether you are ok with it or not, this is going to hurt the league.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

Kind of crazy they couldn't wait two weeks until George is back. Hope this backfires on them and lose a couple seeds forcing a tough round 1.

[mediocrityrules]

120-104...must win


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[SirChurros]

I don't necessarily have an issue with load management, but how are you going to load manage less than a month into the season? Seems a bit ridiculous.

[Finn]

It’s simple, only allow load management on away games.

How does that work if Milwaukee "load manages" Giannis? The game is still missing one of the 2 superstars.

[worthlessBucks]

Yeah, I've always thought the resting/load management stuff was pretty garbage. I could understand an old Duncan needing rest, sure he gets a pass (Pop then took it to the extremes with other players), but one of the game's premiere players taking nights off in his prime is ****. Fans pay money to see them, superstars drive the revenue. For road games when 'load management' incidents pop up, fans have made these ticket purchases way in advance and then they are out of luck. An injury occurs and the superstar is out, the fans can accept that. Resting, pure nonsense. His PTO is the rest of the year.

Oh and Leonard still gets paid an absurd amount of money for it too, lol. They're almost all on some kind of gear, he can survive playing an effing game for 60 minutes at 28 years old. "injured"

~~IBM NBA Load Management~~..they're not servers.

[jerrod]

A few of you have referenced the Clippers doing the load management. I think this situation is clearly on Kawhi. He's told teams (starting with the Spurs) that he doesn't want to play all 82 games.

Yeah, i always assumed this was related to his specific injury rather than just rest. It certainly worked out well for the Raptors but i suppose this means that every Clippers playoff series in the foreseeable future will revolve around the Kawhi limping and being a warrior story line. That'll get old.

[ducler]

Read on Twitter

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

Meh?


I think most on this board understand this from a pure basketball perspective. Being that the ultimate goal of winning a championship is more important than an early November Giannis/Kawhi matchup. But the casual NBA fan doesn't. That fan, who has kids with Kawhi Leonard jersey's and posters all over his wall, who possibly just spent hundreds, maybe thousands on tickets to see this. It's complete BS, especially this early in the year. 2nd time in 8 games.

from a business perspective. If I spend a ton of money with ESPN, TNT, or local TV during this game, only to find out he's sitting out, which affects viewerships and ratings, I'm livid. There several different ways that makes this ridiculous. It's not like the dude is 34 with his knees filling up with fluid. I'm glad Doris Burke spoke out on this without toeing the company line.

then the casual fan needs to get it and dad needs to explain it. basketball players may not play 82 games maybe only 60. pitchers dont get 500 innings anymore. maybe 200. these guys make 30-40-50 million dollars a year to win championships and career longevity is a HUUUUGE concern. kawhi gets hurt or ends his career then that kid doesn't want to come to ANY games.

bottom line is the dad needs to teach the kid and tell him not to throw a **** fit. go root for shamet and the other young guys and talk up how exciting its going to be in april and may for years to come

Who said any kid is throwing a fit? They are probably bummed as hell! And their dad is even more bummed for their kid.

I would love you as one of my customers. Hey Man, I know we talked about buying this product. But, it's not really available this week. It's not that I don't have it to give you, I just don't really feel like giving it to you today, I'm kind of tired. So can I just give you the knock off version for the same price??

No? That upsets you? You want a discount now? Wow, who raised you? Quit your BITCHING and stop throwing a **** fit!


Spare me the tough guy, life isn't fair approach. Like I said, it's not like he's injured or old and banged up. This is bad for the league and there isn't any argument that justifies that it isn't.

really a horrible analogy unless youre talking about casual fans who prioritize corporate outings and family time over rings and banners. then it makes perfect sense

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

I don't necessarily have an issue with load management, but how are you going to load manage less than a month into the season? Seems a bit ridiculous.

we whooped Toronto 7 games into last year with kawhi sitting out. we also beat them 3-1 in the reg season.

then he whooped us in the ECF.

this is how he hes going to do it from here on out id imagine.

[HaroldinGMinor]

A few of you have referenced the Clippers doing the load management. I think this situation is clearly on Kawhi. He's told teams (starting with the Spurs) that he doesn't want to play all 82 games.

I told every team in the NBA that not only will I not play all 82 regular season games, but I will not play any playoff games either.

[kid idioteque]

Read on Twitter

?s=20

[MickeyDavis]

Zach Zarba (#15)
Courtney Kirkland (#61)
Mitchell Ervin (#27)

[stellation]

It’s simple, only allow load management on away games.

How does that work if Milwaukee "load manages" Giannis? The game is still missing one of the 2 superstars.

How about limited load management on the road (1 per player per month), unlimited load management at home?

If the owners get noise from their own fans about it for their own players they might be more likely to resolve it.

[paulpressey25]

Caught a few minutes of NBA radio an hour ago with Eddie Johnson and Justin Termine. Both guys were going hard at Kawhi. Couple interesting things stuck out.

Termine said that based on this, he's not going to put Kawhi on his MVP ballot this year, regardless of what else he does this season. Said he'll listen to MVP arguments for LeBron, Giannis, AD, etc, but he's not going there for Kawhi.

Eddie Johnson then talked regarding how and when does Kawhi know he's "100%" and laments the many times he (Eddie) was banged up and having a hard time getting out of bed, but he made it to the arena and did his job.

Both guys countered the "long season" argument noting that the league has gone above and beyond to help in recent years. i.e. season stretched out, less back to backs, private jets, personal trainers and chefs, etc.

[chonestown]

I don't necessarily have an issue with load management, but how are you going to load manage less than a month into the season? Seems a bit ridiculous.

we whooped Toronto 7 games into last year with kawhi sitting out. we also beat them 3-1 in the reg season.

then he whooped us in the ECF.

this is how he hes going to do it from here on out id imagine.

I mean, it worked pretty good last year!

[blazza18]

It's disappointing not to see two of the best players in the league against each other but I don't really have an issue with how the Clippers are dealing with keeping Kawhi as healthy as possible. This game tonight doesn't really mean anything to them. Tomorrow's probably does. No brainer to have him play tomorrow.

Maybe the league should do better with scheduling teams on national tv on b2b nights. It's not like this is unprecedented either.

[blazza18]

Termine said that based on this, he's not going to put Kawhi on his MVP ballot this year, regardless of what else he does this season. Said he'll listen to MVP arguments for LeBron, Giannis, AD, etc, but he's not going there for Kawhi.

This opinion makes me laugh. You think Kawhi or the Clippers really give a **** by this? The goal is to win a title. That's why you play the game.