More on Load Management
Josh Robbins: Spencer Dinwiddie will start tonight against the Raptors and, as expected, will be held out of Monday’s game in Indianapolis on the second night of a back-to-back as the Wizards continue to be careful with him 11 months post-knee surgery, Wes Unseld Jr. said.
Eric Nehm: DeMarcus Cousins is listed as OUT for tonight's game in Toronto. The reason given is "return to competition reconditioning". Lopez, DiVincenzo and Ojeleye are all listed as OUT as well. George Hill is listed as probable with a right knee hyperextension.
Chris Haynes: Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard (abdominal pain) is expected to rest tonight against the Detroit Pistons, league sources tell @YahooSports.
Vivek Jacob: Nick Nurse says there is still a bit of injury management to be done with Yuta Watanabe so there is a minutes restriction as well as a shift restriction. Can't play for an extended period of time currently.
Justin Grasso: Danny Green will continue to come off the bench tonight, per Doc Rivers. Green’s still on a minutes restriction but his minutes will slightly increase #Sixers
Tony Jones: Mike Conley is on track to play in the back end of a back to back for the first time this season. Pretty strong message to how much this team is trying to shake it’s slump
Quinton Mayo: Wizards point guard Spencer Dinwiddie (rest) will not play tonight vs. Dallas Mavericks, I’m told. Wes Unseld Jr. said yesterday he expected Dinwiddie to be out but the final decision hadn’t been made.
KC Johnson: Speaking from Houston via Zoom, Billy Donovan said Nikola Vucevic will be on a minutes restriction as he returns from missing 7 games in health and safety protocols. Vucevic will play “shorter stints” as he tries to regain game conditioning.
Chris Fedor: I’m hearing #Cavs Lauri Markkanen, in his first game back from health and safety protocols tonight, will play around 25-28 minutes. Somewhere in that range. The plan is to limit how long his stretches are.
Kelsey Russo: #Cavs J.B. Bickerstaff said Kevin Love is available tonight. He is also on a minutes restriction since this is his first game back.
Will Guillory: Brandon Ingram will no longer be under a minutes restriction, per Willie Green. Green says he plans on bumping Ingram's minutes up tonight. It's something he's been working toward the past few days.
Brady Hawk: Erik Spoelstra on Kyle Lowry sitting out tonight: "The schedule is pretty intense...Those back to back games, we were going for the win in both of those. Then there was a quick turnaround in Utah."
Marc J. Spears: Heat say Jimmy Butler (ankle) & Marcus Garrett (wrist) are both available to play in tonight's game vs the Pelicans. Bam Adebayo (knee), Kyle Lowry (rest) and Markieff Morris (neck) have all been ruled out.
Anthony Slater: Some notable Warriors injury news: Steph Curry is questionable tomorrow in Cleveland with a left hip contusion, Andre Iguodala is out with left hip injury management. Rest day for Iguodala. It’s front end of back-to-back.
Joe Mussatto: Mike Muscala (rest) is out tonight against the Nets. Not unexpected given the back-to-back. He should be available tomorrow against the Heat.
Eric Koreen: Nurse isn’t sure whether Siakam will play on Thursday in Philly, but he’s in tomorrow. Khem Birch will not play in either game.
Walker said afterward there’ll be more rest nights, though he wouldn’t go as far as saying he’s not going to play any full back-to-backs. “It’s a long year,” Walker said. “I’m not gonna play every game. I feel great. It worked out. I want to try to stay as healthy as I can. The healthiest guys win games. It was definitely my call.”
Stefan Bondy: Thibodeau says Kemba Walker is playing — Nerlens and Mitchell are game time decisions.
Anthony Slater: Otto Porter is out tonight against the Hawks on second night of back to back. Warriors listing it as left foot injury management. Andre Iguodala is back.
Marc Berman: Derrick Rose will start for rested Kemba Walker
Marc Berman: Thibodeau didn’t guarantee Kemba Walker is playing tomorrow vs. Sixers either but that might be a injury protocol thing.
Anthony Slater: Andre Iguodala is out for the Warriors tomorrow, sitting on front side of back-to-back against the Rockets. Warriors play the Hawks on Monday.
Keith Langlois: Dwane Casey says all restrictions on Cade Cunningham - minutes, back to backs - have been lifted. Pistons host 76ers tonight, Nets tomorrow night.
Tim Bontemps: 76ers coach Doc Rivers says Joel Embiid getting tonight off isn’t about his knee. He said it was instead a planned rest day after looking at the schedule. Embiid has been listed with right knee soreness the past several games. He wasn’t listed on it today before being ruled out.
Ramona Shelburne: Embiid had an MRI on his sore right knee over the weekend which revealed no concerns, according to sources. Sitting this game is for rest, since Sixers have packed schedule. He’s expected back on Wednesday.
Aaron J. Fentress: It was just announced that Joel Embiid (rest) is out for Philadelphia tonight against Portland.
Quinton Mayo: Nets injury report vs. Wizards: Bruce Brown is probable (calf) LaMarcus Aldridge is out (rest)
Brad Townsend: Jason Kidd says the term “load management” has not once come up in regard to Kristaps Porzingis. “The answer is, ‘I don’t know,’ he added when asked if Porzingis will be load managed. Sounds like it will be situational, but Mavs aren’t entering season with plan to load-manage.
Jared Weiss: Ime Udoka confirms Al Horford will play back-to-backs this year: "Definitely is something we discussed and we're already looking at scheduling a little bit. But like I mentioned before, Al’s come in in great shape and means a lot to the team."
Sarah K. Spencer: Hawks injury report for preseason game at Miami: Clint Capela (left Achilles injury management) is out. Kevin Huerter (left ankle injury management) is out. De’Andre Hunter (right knee injury management) is out. Onyeka Okongwu (right shoulder surgery rehabilitation) is out.
Ryan Wolstat: The Raptors are back! Injury report for Oct. 4 v PHI: Gary Trent Jr (left quad soreness) is QUESTIONABLE; Chris Boucher (left middle finger dislocation); Khem Birch (health and safety protocols) and Pascal Siakam (injury rehabilitation) are OUT.
Ryan Ward: Frank Vogel on Lakers preseason: "Our main guys are not going to play all the games." Said "it'll be nice" to get "two games" with his stars on the floor.
Ben Anderson: Donovan Mitchell on the idea of potentially resting games at times during the season. "I'm all for ways for us to stay healthy." Said he might not have felt that way before last season. @KSLSports | #TakeNote
Michael Singer: Nikola Jokic on possibly load managing: “I think it’s a smart thing.” Said he trusts the staff and trainers and thinks it’s a good idea if it’ll help him avoid injuries. Good q, @Vinny Benedetto.
Thibodeau’s plan for a Walker/Derrick Rose point guard tandem will be of much intrigue since Rose, too, is injury prone after multiple knee surgeries. Thibodeau is expected to talk Tuesday and provide clues as to whether he might split the 48-minute game between the two former All-Stars. It’s unclear if Leon Rose will break his one-year media silence. Load management — an idea Thibodeau detests — may finally reign at the Garden in 2021-22. Walker didn’t play back-to-backs last season for Boston and was forced to miss the final two playoff games against the Nets because of knee pain.
Mirjam Swanson: Ty Lue on the Clippers' "aggressive rest" -- love @Law Murray's term -- down the stretch: "I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks." "We finally got everyone healthy."
Ohm Youngmisuk: In addition to Paul George and Kawhi Leonard sitting out, Marcus Morris, Nic Batum and Rajon Rondo are out. Ivica Zubac will play the first minute and then rest according to Ty Lue.
Jim Owczarski: The #Bucks will not see Nikola Vučević tonight in Chicago. The #Bulls center is being held of the season finale for rest before their offseason begins.
Ira Winderman: Heat injury update: Butler (back)-- out Dragic (back) -- out Iguodala (hip) -- out Nunn (calf) -- out Adebayo (rest) -- out Ariza (rest) -- out Oladipo (knee) -- out Yurtseven (not with team) -- out
Brian Lewis: James Harden (right hamstring - injury management) is out. #Nets
Derek Bodner: Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Danny Green, Seth Curry and Matisse Thybulle are all out tonight against the Magic. Furkan Korkamz is available. Shake Milton is probable.
Adam Spolane: Nate McMillan says he’s not going to play his guys a lot of minutes tonight. Bogdanovich, Huerter, Capela, and Galinari are among the guys out, Trae Young is a gametime decision
Kobe would’ve balked at the term “load management,” and although so many looked at his exploits as self-serving, Vanessa made a nod to Jordan to her husband’s intentions when she used to ask him to take a game off. “Kobe didn’t want to disappoint his fans, especially the ones in the 300 sections who saved up to watch him play, the kids with the same excitement he once had,” Vanessa said, mentioning Kobe’s memories of seeing Jordan play live as a kid, bottling up that memory and making it a part of his basketball ethos once he became the standard.
Gina Mizell: Booker on possibility of resting tomorrow: "It would be tough, but at the same time, we know where our focus is at: Getting to the postseason and (playing) the right way. That's been our thing throughout the whole season is doing things the right way." #Suns
Alex Schiffer: Steve Nash doesn't rule out the big three playing tomorrow. Wants to see how they feel in the morning.
Chris Kirschner: Nate McMillan said they're not resting anyone for tomorrow's game. He said there may be a guy or two with minutes restrictions but no one will sit just to sit.
Mark Murphy: Per Stevens: Neither Kemba Walker or Rob Williams made the trip. Next up for them will be the play-in.
Mark Murphy: Marcus Smart and Tristan Thompson also are not on the trip. Tatum and Fournier have expressed a desire to play in these last two games.
Andrew Greif: Sidelined since March 14, Serge Ibaka has been upgraded to *questionable* to play tonight in Houston. OUT: PG (rest), Kawhi Leonard (rest), Terance Mann (personal reasons), Pat Beverley (injury management), Amir Coffey (protocols) Doubtful: Reggie Jackson (sore left Achilles)
Michael Singer: Nikola Jokic is expected to play tonight vs. Detroit, I'm told. Aaron Gordon, Facu Campazzo and Paul Millsap are all out due to rest.
Connor Letourneau: Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins are questionable for tomorrow. Feels like their status will ride on the result of today's Memphis game.
Kerith Burke: TBD if tomorrow's game will be a rest night for some players. Kerr said Steph and Draymond did not practice today. Wiggins was limited. "We have some guys legitimately banged up," Kerr said.
Michael Singer: Monte Morris (injury management) and MPJ (rest) will be out tonight vs. Minnesota, I'm told.
Kerith Burke: On this back to back, Kerr said the Warriors don’t have enough bodies to rest anyone. He says the team is smart about getting rest where they can with fewer practices and light work this time of year. “I like where we are physically,” Kerr said.
Mark Followill: Injury updates for Mavs at Grizzlies tonight. First for Memphis - Jonas Valanciunas is doubtful (back soreness). Jaren Jackson Jr is out for injury management. He hasn't played any back to backs since returning last month from off-season meniscus surgery.
Eric Koreen: Kyle Lowry is also not playing tonight for the Raptors, as he is being rested. The Last Chance Saloon is emptying by the minute!
Connor Letourneau: Steve Kerr said he's not planning to rest anyone anytime soon.
Doug Smith: Raptors mid-day injury report for tonight in Utah reveals no surprises Lowry (rest), Boucher (knee), Watson (knee), Trent (leg) are all out
Josh Lewenberg: The Raptors are resting Kyle Lowry vs Utah tomorrow. Boucher (knee sprain), Trent (leg contusion) and Watson (knee tendinitis) remain out as well.
Kristian Winfield: Steve Nash says his preference is that Kevin Durant does not play tomorrow night in the second game of a back-to-back against Portland. The Nets will determine whether Kyrie Irving (groin) can play in the morning.
Dane Moore: Chris Finch says he has communicated to Timberwolves players that they will not be “unnecessarily resting” players down the stretch of the season. The focus is on building continuity, says Finch.
Dane Moore: All Timberwolves players (other than Malik Beasley) are active to play in tonight’s second game of a back-to-back. No rest shenanigans from the Wolves against a tanking Rockets team, who just shut down John Wall for the season and only had 8 active players in their last game.
Ohm Youngmisuk: Kawhi Leonard (foot), Patrick Beverley (hand), Serge Ibaka (back) and Luke Kennard (rest) are out tomorrow night. Rajon Rondo (wrist) is questionable.
Mike Trudell: Frank Vogel said the plan for the final 13 games is to try and keep everybody engaged ahead of the playoffs, potentially so that he can call upon certain guys in certain matchups when needed in the playoffs. He did the same thing last season, esp. in the bubble seeding games.
Gerald Bourguet: Jae Crowder (right ankle sprain) is out tomorrow against the Nets. So is Dario Saric (left ankle injury management), Langston Galloway (personal reasons) and Abdel Nader (right knee soreness)
