As the poster child for load management, the NBA’s new player participation rules seemed to specifically target him and his teammate, Paul George. But in a surprising twist, both he and George have played in every single game so far, including all back-to-backs. Kawhi, who recently spoke with ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, jokingly threatened to take legal action against the false narratives.
“We should sue for — what do they call it? — negligence,” Leonard said, via ESPN.
For years, Kawhi and PG have been criticized for their lack of intensity in the season and Kawhi built up a habit of taking days off on the regular. Even so, both stars claim that it was never their choice to sit. Instead, they cite injuries as the only factor behind their non-perfect attendance.
“That was never the case,” George said. “We had injuries that we were trying to keep minimal. No one knows what we go through, what and where our bodies are at. But they paint that picture on us as if we were sitting games out like we wanted to.”
Whatever the reasoning is for their shaky attendance record, the Clippers‘ duo is setting a new standard this season. Already, PG and Leonard are on track to play more games in a season than they have in years and it seems like it could be the new norm for everybody in the NBA.
Load Management Is Dead?
It’s not a new practice for teams and players to be cautious about workloads and playing time. It’s been used for years as a strategy to keep players healthy and stretch over a long, 82-game season. Load management as we know it today can largely be traced back to Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs. Towards the end of their run, Pop would occasionally rest his starters for the sake of preserving their bodies and saving energy for the postseason.
Many teams have employed a similar strategy over the years, and the Clippers have been the team most associated with the practice until now. This summer, when the league introduced penalties for load management in high-profile and nationally televised games, the Clips were supposed to be the team most affected. Instead, it hasn’t had an impact at all, and they are playing some of their best basketball in years.
Clippers On A Roll
Initially, the Clippers were a mess after the Harden trade. After losing six in a row out of the gate, the doubters and haters were lining up to take their shots and the team almost hit rock bottom. Now, LA has won eight straight games and they look to be a major threat in the West. Leading the charge is none other than Kawhi Leonard himself, who is averaging 24.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on 52% shooting.
It’s hard to say where the ceiling is for this Clippers squad. On paper, they can easily compete with the likes of Denver, Dallas, Minnesota, and Phoenix. But we’ve seen this story before from the Clippers, and nobody will be convinced of their potential until they show they can win when it matters most.
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