Lakers Could Be Slapped With an Exorbitant 7-Figure Bill if LeBron James Skips NBA Game Alongside Anthony Davis

When Gregg Popovich decided to load manage the aging Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan in the early 2010s to mid-10s, it stirred a honeycomb. He continued to sit down with star players, including Kawhi Leonard, and the practice is the norm now. It has become an unfavorable scenario of the league which has drawn the ire of the fans. Sitting down, two superstars can especially deprive a city of the anticipated action. The circle drawn on that date means nothing to many. Plus, this has also hit the popularity of the league.

In that wake, the NBA Board of Governors is looking for stringent measures to fix this load management. How will this affect the Lakers Franchise who have LeBron James and Anthony Davis?

No more resting Anthony Davis and LeBron James at the same time

As per Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA Board of Governors will vote on a policy restricting teams from resting two-star players during the same game. The first violation invites a fine of $100k, the second one $250k, and the third one $1 million. 

Charania informs that a star player means someone who has made an All-Star team or an All-NBA Team in the past three years. If we take the Lakers’ case, LeBron James and Anthony Davis fall into that definition. If the team opts to rest both phenoms during the same game. Considering the team has 40 nationally televised games, where the rules are stringent, they are in a tricky scenario. Both players are injury-prone by now.

Applying the rule can be tricky. What if both players have serious injuries? Determining the extent of the injury can lead to new rules. Then, in the larger picture, the scope of injury will determine how a team will have to engage in load management. There has been intense criticism of the system lately. Pop remains determined to retain the system he popularized in the modern era. How will the league shape up if the vote is approved?

Arguments related to Load management

Proponents of the system point out the longevity issues that the lack of load management causes. They believe that if they manage a player’s injury early on, it will not develop into something serious. That’s why coach Pop and the Spurs shut down Victor Wembanyama after two Summer League games and the FIBA World Cup. He may see limited floor time during the upcoming Regular Season. Having no other star player can give Pop the luxury to do so.

For the critics of the system, it doesn’t increase the longevity. For them, the system can make a player more rusty and time to adapt to game action can increase too. It also doesn’t increase the chances of winning a title. The critics often cite the cases of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. 

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What side are you on? Do share in the comments below.

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