If there were ever two words to sum up the major frustration about the modern NBA, it would arguably be just “load management”.
Players sitting out games without cause or injury just to rest up and be ready for the “real games” (playoffs) to begin has been ruthlessly criticised.
From Kawhi Leonard, the man who effectively coined the term, to the likes of Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, or even LeBron James at certain points in their careers, they’ve all been at the receiving end.
However, one superstar is carrying the flag for that frustration this season and Shannon Sharpe has had enough of it and he made sure to vent his feelings clearly.
Sharpe, especially in his previous discussions with Skip Bayless on their now-ended show, was always a vocal critic of loan management.
The thought that players need to rest when the NBA schedule hasn’t really changed much from the early 2000s or even slightly earlier than that is hard to digest for them.
Sharpe, on his YouTube channel, Nightcap, called out one player in particular whose team lost their game in their star player’s absence.
Sharpe said: “The Cavs continue their undefeated season, defeating the Sixers 114-106. No Joel Embiid, no Paul George, sat out due to load management. Damn. Joel Embiid just got back but hey, he need to manage it.”
When Ocho called him out for his comments on Embiid, Sharpe went off, with the ultimate scathing remark on the 76ers star.
He said: “They just gave him a three-year, $193 million extension. I got a problem with the guy not playing, absolutely! The fans have a problem with it too. Then he should be able to load manage his check!
“The guy missed the first nine games of the season, he comes back and plays a game and now he’s out again? Damn! This is the problem you’re gonna have with him.”
Since his debut season, Embiid has yet to cross the 70-game regular season mark for the Philadelphia 76ers which can’t be how a superstar is determined.
The most regular season games he has played in a season stands at 68 which he achieved in 2021/22 and he’s coming off just a 39-game season in 2023/24.
After signing an extension in the summer that takes the overall value of his contract to five years, $299.55 million, there’s a real chance that it turns into an albatross around the 76ers’ neck.
Embiid is already 30 and with a body that is breaking down and a physique that doesn’t lend itself to longevity, his injury history spells trouble for the 76ers’ future as a contender with him.
Sharpe said: “He had an injury history when he was drafted. He was 21 when drafted. He had injury history at 20. What happens as you start to age?
Do you think the injuries get lighter with age or do they get heavier? Then compound the injury history that they already have. If you look at it, other than Pop [Gregg Popovich], what team has load managed and won the title?
“You’re always going to have this question, even when his career is over, ‘What if?’. He has no weakness but he just can’t stay healthy.”
A healthy Joel Embiid remains a dominant force but the 76ers are no longer built to survive without him and that shouldn’t even be an option for a title-chasing team and its key superstar.
Unfortunately, that’s the situation the 76ers and Embiid find themselves in as they sit at a record of 2-9, with Embiid not helping much even when he plays.
Related Posts
