Former Miami Heat coach gives it to “Load Management” culture
Former Miami Heat assistant coach David Fizdale, current Knicks head coach, went bonkers when asked about RJ Barrett’s load. To quote Fiz, “take that for data”!
In today’s NBA there are a few things that are really different from the way that they used to be. The Miami Heat were the pioneers or the platform for quite a few of these changes or advances in the Association. For starters and probably most apparently, the players are more wealthy and more powerful than ever.
Secondly, players move around from team to team more than they ever have throughout the entire history of the league. Lastly, players take off more games for nothing, or load management, than ever before. Some people like it, have embraced it, and understand it to be apart of the new way of the NBA, while some just aren’t having it at all.
Count former Miami Heat assistant coach and current New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale amongst that number of people who just aren’t having it. When questioned recently about the load or amount of court minutes that rookie RJ Barrett was seeing, here it was Fizdale had to say, via the twitter account of Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic(subscription required).
"“He’s got the day off tomorrow,” David Fizdale said. “We gotta get off this load management crap. Latrell Sprewell averaged 42 minutes for a season. This kid’s 19 years old. Drop it.”"
Fired up much Fiz? He sure was. This is such a Coach Fizdale thing to say and approach(think “take that for data” from his Memphis head coaching days).
Coach Fiz wasn’t having it then and he isn’t having it now. He makes a good point in the case of Barrett as well.
The best way to learn how to play in the NBA is to actually play… in… the… NBA… right? Maybe not, but that seems to have worked for every other high profile rookie before him.
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Either way, with Coach Fizdale at the helm, you can be sure that Barrett is in good hands, headed in the right direction, and has the optimal chance to succeed. Although he is doing it in a different place for a different organization, this rant reeks of the Heat Culture that we know Fiz is fluent in.