Since joining the Clippers in 2019, Kawhi and PG have been often sidelined due to injuries and load management – but now with both healthy, they’re playing, and playing A LOT, in what looks to be a huge deviation from the Clippers’ previous load management strategy.
Kawhi and PG have played in all 19 games this season (including back to backs) – Kawhi racking up 653 total minutes so far, PG with 676. They are 13th and 26th respectively in total minutes played this season.
If they were to keep up this pace (and not miss a single game, which is unlikely) Kawhi would be on pace for 2821 total minutes and PG on pace for 2919 total minutes. Kawhi has averaged 1789 total minutes per season since joining the Clippers (not accounting for the entire season he missed in '21-'22), and PG has averaged only 1564 total minutes per year. They are on pace to blow past those minutes totals by the all-star break.
PG was an ironman in Indiana and OKC, in his age 22 season he played 2972 total minutes. He played 2600+ total minutes in 6 of his first 9 seasons. Kawhi on the other hand is playing an unprecedented amount of minutes, his most minutes played in a season was 2474 at age 25 with San Antonio.
This all coming on the heels of the NBA stating their data does not support that load management prevents injury and their new Player Participation policy. The Clippers too seem to have scrapped their load management strategy this season.
The Clippers are 9-10 after 19 games.
Or aka “I need a new contract so lets finally play” season
Wild what being in a contract year does
They need to play to get the extension next off season
Bittersweet ending but i’ll always root for Kawhi.
He is still the Michael Jordan of Canada until we get a new one!
Obviously they want to show up and play as this is a contract year.
The only thing I hate though is the idea people throw around about how Ballmer doesn’t have a choice but to give them a boatload of money during the offseason because they’re opening a new arena next year.
They may be opening a new arena, but giving money to players who have done nothing other than play close to home is idiotic. Unless those contracts are incentive based or one year with player options, the clippers would be wise to mine on this off season.
I don’t want to sound like a hater but the fact that Kawhi was afk for 2 years kinda def has been a. Reason for their slow start kinda
They’ve had a solid 2 years of load management. About time. Plus they’re both in contract years so safe to assume they want to show they still got it
I have no faith in this continuing, but I hope the best for both of them.
The funniest timeline is if it’s true that load management straight up doesn’t work and we were pointlessly holding players out for years. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle though, NBA has a vested interest in reducing load management
Did we not all witness it help the Raptors win their championship?
No. Because we only have the world where tbe used it and won.