Who expected the “load management” concept to become a topic of conversation for the New York Knicks, let alone this early in the 2019-20 NBA season?
Rookie RJ Barrett played 41 minutes in Sunday’s 21-point loss to the Sacramento Kings, which featured a double-digit deficit for most of the game. It was New York’s most disparaging defeat of the season, falling to a 1-5 team that dealt with injuries and poor play. However, the rookie’s playing time consumed the post-game conversation.
Per Marc Berman of the New York Post, Knicks coach David Fizdale was unhappy with the idea of “load management” being applied to Barrett, a 19-year-old rookie who never experienced the rigors of an 82-game NBA season.