For years now, the load management conversation has taken over the NBA.
Whether it’s devoted fans traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles to see their favorite player in-person for the first time only to find out they’re sitting out the game to rest or analysts in favor of their team’s superstar taking a few games off throughout the season to ensure their peak physical condition for the playoffs, there are pros and cons to how NBA stars approach load management today.
A good argument for why load management is good practice when applied correctly is the developing theory of Olympics fatigue.
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There has been a significant amount of evidence that many stars who partake in competitive summer basketball, such as the FIBA games or the Olympics, see their quality of play falter in the following season — likely due to the taxing offseason they had and the limited amount of rest to recover from the grueling campaign of the previous year.
This is especially relevant for players who were featured in extended postseason runs in the playoffs that take place directly before the summer events.
With the 2023 FIBA tournament coming up, there are a few players who could fall victim to this ongoing theory, including two New York Knicks in Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Austin Reaves.
The one star who’s most in danger of seeing fatigue and, fingers crossed, injury hit them due to the workload they’ll have to carry in FIBA in addition to the past playoffs is the Minnesota Timberwolves’s Anthony Edwards.
| 2022-23 Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Edwards | Pts | Reb | Ast |
 |
5.8 | 4.4 | |
| 16th | 57th | 83rd | |
While still only 22 years old, Ant has shouldered a significant workload for the T-Wolves since he was selected by them with the number one overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Despite a disappointing regular season this past year, Edwards was still able to drag his team into the playoffs and even stole a game away from the eventual champion Denver Nuggets.
Even though Minnesota was ousted in five quick games, Edwards still had a longer playoff run than most first-round exits, as he and the Wolves had to battle their way through the Play-In Tournament, adding two extra postseason games to his resume.
This year’s FIBA roster is significantly lacking in the superstar offensive firepower that the United States has grown accustomed to, meaning that Edwards might just be the go-to shot creator for this squad.
It’ll be an incredible two year run from him if he can continue his ascension in both FIBA and the following season for a Timberwolves squad looking to redeem themselves after a relatively disappointing 2022-2023 campaign.
Had to bring Anthony Edwards’ Jordan-esque reverse layup back to the TL 😮💨pic.twitter.com/RNmew2jPaX
— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) August 14, 2023
| Title: Do the Miami Heat have the best trade package for Damian Lillard?
| Author: Andy Quach
| Date: June 14th, 2023
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