The NBA has made it clear heading into the 2023-24 season that it wants to curb “load management”, a term coined by the Raptors back in 2018-19 while trying to manage Kawhi Leonard’s quad injury after he only appeared in nine games for the Spurs the prior season. The practice has spiraled out of control since then, and new efforts to combat it include a 65-game minimum for All-NBA teams and most individual NBA awards (but not Rookie of the Year, for some reason) and fines for teams who abuse the practice, especially during nationally televised games.
Although this runs counter what Adam Silver said back during the All-Star break — that he didn’t believe load management was out of control and “there is real medical data and scientific data about what’s appropriate,” — the NBA’s vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars recently told The Athletic it’s no longer supported by science.