Daryl Morey isn’t ready to call it load management, but the Houston Rockets GM sounds more open than ever to occasionally resting his star players.
In a question-and-answer (Q&A) story by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Morey said this when asked whether guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook could join the NBA’s “load management era” in the 2019-20 season:
We don’t like to label it, honestly. Our goal is to peak in April. We need to be smart about it. Keith [Jones, the Rockets senior vice president of basketball operations] and Jason [Biles, the Rockets head athletic trainer and director of performance rehab] are putting together a plan. I think there is a good chance you’ll see some guys resting when healthy.
Harden has played in 78 or more games in four of the last five regular seasons, while Westbrook has played in 80 or more games in three of his last four seasons. By comparison, 2019 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard played just 60 regular-season games with Toronto.
In the same Q&A story, Morey also said he sees the Rockets as the current Western Conference favorites, adding that they go into the season “shooting for the No. 1 seed.” Because of that, Morey told Feigen he’s not yet willing to finalize a plan for resting his stars.
It all depends on the context of the season. If we start 7-11 again, I don’t think there’ll be a lot of resting. We’ll be battling for the playoffs. Everything is contextual. We need at all times to be looking at the ultimate goal of wining a title and what is the best decision. That’s why we don’t like to have any hard and fast rules. I don’t think that’s pragmatic.
Harden, the NBA’s 2018 MVP, averaged 36.1 points, 7.5 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game last season. Meanwhile, Westbrook — the 2017 MVP — tallied 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With each player now in his 30s and still seeking a first NBA title, the hope is that both guards could buy into the “resting when healthy” concept more now than they have in the past.
