Over the past several years, “load management” in the NBA has become quite a controversial conversation as teams are holding out their star players in games even though they are healthy with no injuries. It’s led to quite a bit of frustration from fans and some prominent players have spoken out against the practice. And it seems like commissioner Adam Silver has a plan that might help address the issue.
In an interview with Sage Steele on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Adam Silver revealed the league is considering requiring a minimum number of games played for teams to be eligible for awards.
“I don’t want to suggest there’s a magic bullet here,” Silver said. “I don’t think it’s just about incentivizing players to play more, that the teams are as much a part of the load management as the players are, because again, I think there’s been a societal shift. Everything’s about winning a championship these days and it’s less, I think in all sports, about how you perform day in and day out. And so it’s a cultural issue as well.
“There are a few things we’re addressing in collective bargaining, for example, I think we ensure that some of our awards require a minimum number of games be played, that we’re celebrating not just average number of points, but total number of points, that the culture is guys being out on the floor as much as they can.”
It’s not clear whether that would have a big impact on load management, but it would certainly be a start.
[ESPN]
