Load management is fake

Wed, Jan 17th, 2024

Author

The Grip
January 17, 2024

Tonight’s Must-Watch Games

The Opening Tip

  • We finally got a good Jokic-Embiid matchup

  • The Celtics’ home win streak to start the season is getting serious

  • ‘The Wall’ is almost here

1. NBA: Rest is kinda bullshit

An under-reported thing came out last week, which seems rather important. 

According to a third-party report commissioned by the NBA, load management -- arguably the league’s No. 1 nemesis, which it’s gone great lengths to combat -- is bullshit. 

From the report, which studied schedule density and number of games played in correlation to injury rates:

‘Results from these analyses do not suggest that missing games for rest or load management -- or having longer breaks between game participation -- reduces future in-season injury risk.’

(Did an NBA plant write this?)

Joking. Another important note:

"We're not saying it's better or worse," added a doctor involved in the study.

The report used a 10-year data pool and focused on the performance and injury history of 150 ‘star’ players, which included All-Stars and top lottery picks, and will certainly be used by the league going forward to cut down on non-injury related missed games.

[READ: No link between load management, less injury risk, says report]

2. Daily GIF: And-1 + crotch chop

Soldiers of the Embiid agenda war got a minor victory last night in 76ers-Nuggets, which Philly won thanks to a 27-17 fourth quarter. 

  • Embiid: 41-7-10 on 13/22 shooting

  • Jokic: 25-19-3 on 11/20 shooting

[WATCH: 76ers-Nuggets highlights]

3. Trivia

Three of these are fake generated names. The other is the coach of the OKC Thunder. Which one is real?

• Jim Atkinson

• Mark Daigneault

• Demarcus Morrow

• Chris Pollard

Guess, click and see if you're right.

4. Grip Graph: Longest home winning streaks to start the season, 1970-present

As far as we can tell (if you have a more reliable source, please email us here), the Celtics’ active 19-game home win streak to start the season is the fifth best 1970.* 

Also: 

  • That’s not a typo: The 2015-16 Spurs won 40 straight home games to start the season. They also won 67 games and finished six games out of the one seed. 

  • The 1985-86 Celtics, who finished 40-1 at home, lost their 10th home game of the season, thus disqualifying them from this specific stat.

Boston goes for 20 straight tonight against the Spurs. It is not expected to be close.

*We filtered it to 1970 because anything pre is a mess schedule wise. Teams played uneven numbers of home and away games and solid chunks were played in ‘neutral’ venues. 

Quick hits

  • The Clippers’ new stadium will include a section called ‘The Wall,’ which sounds pretty sick. 

  • The Pacers and Raptors are in talks on a Pascal Siakam trade. 

  • Jimmy Butler is working on a country album.

  • Embiid told Jokic he’s the best player in the league.

  • Quick check on the Pistons’ subreddit. 

  • Dog pees on court during halftime show.

Reads & Pods

  • A new rule is changing the NBA's awards race [ESPN]

  • The Wizards leave you nothing to root for but the other guys [Defector]

  • Kelly Olynyk finds dog, tracks down owner. The pup had been missing 4 years. [WaPo]

That's the buzzer.
Thanks for reading the 348th edition of The Grip.