The team approach to load management

David Thorpe’s ‘family first’ plan to delivering players to the playoffs in great shape

BY DAVID THORPE

I’ve been friends with Henry Abbott for more than a decade, so trust me, I’ve heard the “shorten the season now!” argument for that long. Abbott, the co-founder of this site, has been a staunch supporter of ensuring NBA players are healthy enough to play great when the games matter most each spring.

And I think he’s right. It’s a goal every team should be aiming for. But we don’t need the league to limit the number of games a team plays in a season to accomplish the goal of maintaining elite level of play for the games’ stars. Instead, each team can accomplish the same result while enhancing opportunities for younger players and exhibiting a model for the teams’ own sponsors to emulate as they run their companies. I call it “Family First.” Every team likes to call its franchise a family; here’s how it can actually act like one.

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