A professional basketball player is the epitome of peak human conditioning, as it is the most cardio-intensive sport. The NBA season stretches to eight grueling months and athletes playing in the NBA, the pinnacle of basketball, need to be in their best shape. With the NBA being a physical league, injuries are commonplace. Many superstars have had their careers cut short due to very serious injuries.

With recent advancements in player well-being and analytics, load management has gained significant acceptance throughout the NBA. Former Wizards’ cult hero has made his opinions on load management very clear.

Gilbert Arenas on Load Management

San Antonio Spurs pioneered load management when they rested their star player Kawhi Leonard for inconsequential games. Load Management has its detractors and admirers. For fans who have paid their hard-earned money to watch their favorite superstars, load management can be frustrating. But with the recent strides made in analytics and player well-being, managing the minutes of their stars can help prevent injuries. While it could decrease the chances of injuries, when it comes to the crucial stage of the season, players may not be adequately prepared to complete an entire game.

Former Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas made his opinions on the matter very clear in a segment of his podcast, Gil’s Arena. He said, “It hurts in “theory”. Your body is being mentally trained all season. If you are used to playing 32, 33 minutes, then your body shuts down. If your body is not trained to hit those streams when it’s time to come and now you watching someone in the fourth quarter. ‘Man how come he gasses out in the fourth quarter?’ cause he has never played more than 32 minutes”.

New rules and regulations regarding load management

The latest set of rules and regulations come after the league embraced load management with open arms. The new rules will be replacing the Player Resting Policy (PRP), which was introduced in 2017. The new rules prevent a franchise from resting more than one “star” player on any given night. But the league has come out with an exception to that rule. Stars who are 35 years old by the season opener, or who have tallied up 34,000 regular-season minutes or 1,000 combined regular-season and playoff games, would be allowed to rest. That is if the league gives them prior approval. So, veterans like LeBron and Curry should get an exemption, if required.

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New rules and regulations make it much harder for teams to rest their star players for inconsequential games. The new rules also state that the players must play 65 regular season games in order to be eligible for the end-of-the-season awards such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), and Rookie of the Year. The NBA will also incorporate a fine system for teams that begins with $100,000 for first offenses. This increases later to $250,000 for second offenses and $1 million for every additional penalty. What are your thoughts on load management? Let us know in the comments below.

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