How NBA load management restriction could affect Sixers — and coach who popularized it

With NBA training camps looming, news surfaced from multiple reports Monday that the league’s board of governors is expected to pass stricter guidelines about resting players for national television games, or resting two stars — defined as players who have been named to an All-Star or All-NBA team in the past three seasons — in the same game.

In other words, the NBA is attempting to cut back on load management.

This impacts every team, with fines reported to start at $100,000 for the first violation and surpassing $1 million on the third offense. Yet it’s interesting to examine this shift specifically through the 76ers’ lens.

» READ MORE: Sixers to hold first training camp under Nick Nurse in Colorado

The origins of the “load management” terminology can be linked back to new Sixers coach Nick Nurse, whose Toronto Raptors extensively used that strategy with former superstar Kawhi Leonard. And the Sixers boast two of the league’s most recognizable names — at least for however long James Harden remains on the roster — who have also struggled with injuries and/or aging in recent seasons, which are both reasons for regular-season rest.

Here’s a three-pronged look at how the change could affect the Sixers:

One could argue that legendary San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich invented the concept of load management, resting stars such as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli as they aged. In 2012, the Spurs were fined when those three players, plus Danny Green, all sat out for a national TV game against the Miami Heat.

But Nurse’s Raptors began using the “load management” phrase — which is now essentially universally adopted across the league — to describe why Leonard would regularly sit out games during the 2018-19 season. The star forward on both ends of the floor was coming off a serious quadriceps injury that was at the center of his messy departure from, coincidentally, the Spurs. So the Raptors’ medical and training staffs, in collaboration with Leonard and his personal team, created a detailed plan that kept him fresh for the playoff run to the 2019 NBA title. That approach worked, and the Raptors even defeated the Sixers in the historic four-bounce game along the way.

Since then, Leonard has continued to load manage with the Los Angeles Clippers, at least partially due to recovery from a 2021 torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. The Raptors stars who followed, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, have played a typical number of games — and Siakam even led the NBA in minutes per game in each of the past two seasons (37.4 in 2022-23 and 37.9 in 2021-22)

Still, it’s reasonable to wonder if Nurse will apply anything learned from his experience with Leonard to this Sixers’ roster, which leads to …

After health issues plagued much of Embiid’s career, he has played in 68 and 66 games, respectively, in each of the past two regular seasons. And he has publicly acknowledged that proving his durability has been a personal goal, believing it was the final knock against him while building an MVP-caliber resumé.

And that reputation still exists, to a certain degree. Embiid drew outside criticism when he missed a March game in Denver last season, which was billed as an MVP showdown between him and two-time winner Nikola Jokic. Embiid still went on to win the award.

But more important for Embiid and the Sixers is keeping the big man healthy for and throughout the playoffs. The past two seasons’ injuries — including an orbital fracture, a torn thumb ligament, and a knee sprain — were more awful luck than the result of wear and tear. Still, it will be worth monitoring if regular-season rest for Embiid becomes more of a priority under Nurse — and after capturing the sport’s top individual award.

If Harden plays for the Sixers again, he is the team’s second star by the NBA’s definition.

Harden had been a heavy-minute iron man throughout the bulk of his career, until injuries hindered recent seasons. He missed about a month last season with a foot tendon strain, and had periodic rest days after that.

Harden recently turned 34 years old, and has continued to struggle with burst and finishing at the rim since lingering hamstring troubles that he carried from the Brooklyn Nets to the Sixers.

Like Leonard, or Embiid, staying fresh would be crucial for Harden — assuming he remains a Sixer for any notable length of time.