Kawhi Leonard is one of the best players in the NBA today, and he played just 60 games this season while his Toronto Raptors locked up the second seed in the Eastern Conference. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will go into the Hall of Fame with at least five championships, while creating headlines every year by resting his stars on the second night of a back-to-back or other games, leaving fans scratching their heads.
The NBA calls this strategic use of rest “load management”, and it’s quickly becoming the new paradigm. It is less important for players to get in 82 games through bumps and bruises, and more important that they play 60-65 games in good health.