You only need to be a casual observer of Toronto’s NBA team to know that the Raptors have changed their view lately on preserving their best players for the playoffs. The franchise that made the phrase “load management” famous is no longer, in its post-championship incarnation, in the business of pacing its stars through the regular season.
The strategic doses of preventative rest that allowed Kawhi Leonard and his bum knee to thrive when it mattered in the title-winning cauldron simply aren’t a luxury the current club can afford. Such is the reality of a struggling, depth-challenged roster that sits five games below .