Load management has become one of the biggest issues in the NBA today, forcing the league to change rules to try to curb this problem. There was a noted decrease in games missed due to load management, but it's still out there.
Former Los Angeles Lakers teammates Derek Fisher and Byron Scott discussed the league's load management problem during the recent episode of Scott's Fastbreak podcast. And while both of them agree that the principle behind it isn't bad, players today use it as an excuse to suit up for games.
"I think a lot of guys are talking load management to a different level because they're taking nights off, and they ain't practicing," declared Scott. "My whole thing is I'd rather take the practice off than a game. In our day, we had a lot more pride in trying to play 82 games. They don't have the same type of commitment. And I think it's just kind of getting worse and worse for the league and I think at some point in time, they going to have to do something about that."
The NBA has done its part, but is it enough?
Last season, the association adopted the Player Participation Policy, which aimed to encourage the league's stars to play more games during the regular season. Aside from assigning fines, the rule also stipulates a minimum number of games that a player must play to be eligible to receive individual season awards like MVP, DPOY, All-NBA, and All-Defensive teams. Although it reduced the games missed due to load management by 10% , that's still not enough.
This coming season, the league has adjusted its schedule by reducing the average number of back-to-back games per team by 23%. The NBA also eliminated the notorious four-games-in-five-nights and eight-games-in-twelve-night schedules in an effort to promote rest and minimize load management. It remains to be seen how this latest move will work, but Scott says the NBA must act decisively before it hurts the league.
"Again, you got the families that might have, you know, four in the family - a mom and dad that's got a boy and a girl that love basketball," explained Byron. "They want to see Steph Curry, and Steph Curry takes that night off. That's the image that I think will hurt the league more than help the league. So I think at some point in time, they going to have to get this under control a little bit more and insist on our superstars that 'Take tomorrow off in practice' because you play for the fans."
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The Big O is also against it
Scott isn't the only former NBA player who has recently spoken about load management. Earlier this month, Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson also expressed his disappointment over the attitude of today's stars toward load management. According to the Big O, players are making so much money in this era that they owe it to the fans to play every game.
"You see guys today, they try to worry about the minutes, load management," said the legendary guard "I think if you make $50 million, there's no load management. I think sometimes, you owe it to the fans who come to see you play because when you say so or not, NBA players and owners are in this together."
Robertson, Scott, and the other old heads might sound jealous of how much money today's players make, but they have a point. The league is a business, as Robertson explained, and players and owners should work hand-in-hand to keep it profitable. If the current trend of load management continues in the coming years, it will be bad for the league, per B. Scott.
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