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For the last few years, load management has been a big problem in the NBA, as it has become more common for players, especially stars and superstars, to sit out of games they’re able to play in simply because they don’t feel like playing.
Critics have charged that load management is bad for teams and their performance and that it ultimately cheats fans, especially those who give out hard-earned money to attend games in person.
In the new collective bargaining agreement that was recently agreed to, the league has instituted a new rule that stipulates players must appear in a minimum of 65 games in order to qualify for individual awards.
Insider Shams Charania tweeted a few clauses to that rule that allow for bad circumstances, such as major injuries.
Sources: Full terms of NBA’s 65-game minimum to be eligible for honors such as MVP, All-NBA, DPOY:
Players must play 20 minutes in at least 65 games – with protections against season-ending injury (62 games), near misses in minutes (2 games at 15 min.), bad faith circumstances.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 17, 2023
The thinking seems to be that this new rule will incentivize players to not sit out of games due to load management.
However, there are plenty of stars who will not be one of the front-running candidates for any individual awards, and thus they will still have no incentive to play in every game they’re able to suit up for throughout an NBA season.
It has become less and less common in recent years for any players to appear in all 82 games of a season due to the current load management craze.
On one hand, the increased emphasis on proper sleep and rest has helped players have longer and more productive careers, but plenty feel that load management takes such an emphasis too far.
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