The NBA Summer League has started. Kind of. It’s not the big, important one in Las Vegas. That’s the one people seem to care about. Well, they care about it for a few days. I’m told staying in Vegas wears you out after a while. Most people will be checked out by the second weekend.
But not yet! Games are happening! Rookies are making impressions! Young prospects are playing!
… sometimes!
Per @JMcDonald_SAEN: Carter Bryant won't play today vs the Warriors.
— Paul Garcia (@PaulGarciaNBA) July 6, 2025
Team isn't going to have him play back-to-backs this early in the summer.
Carter Bryant is going to be missing the Spurs’ game against the Warriors for what appears to be load management. This comes a couple of days after Bronny James missed the Lakers’ first Summer League game for what appeared to be similar reasons.
Load management is not anyone’s favorite thing to talk about. I mean this. I refuse to believe otherwise. I need this faith to survive. Seeing load management discussion now reach out of the NBA regular season into what’s meant to be an exhibition of athletic young talent to some can seem like a bridge too far.
One could read this to mean, “this load management stuff is more important than we thought. If they’re applying it to younger players despite the popular negative opinion toward it, they must really believe in it. Also, it does make sense. This is the time of their career where their bodies are growing and changing the most. Minimizing stress at times like this could make a big difference long term.”
Or you could read this to say, “it’s important for these players to get reps at this point in the career if they’re even going to make it in the league. You’re not going to get a practice opportunity like this again for quite a while. This event is built around your participation. It’s worth playing even if it is practice for the preparation.”
But the correct way to read it is to say, “all arguments for load management are bad, and all arguments against it are objectively correct.”
Is load management destroying NBA Summer League beyond all repair?
Yes. Unfortunately for people like me who are right, this is the worst thing that has ever happened. We thought that this 2025 rookie class would come in, sweep the league by playing all 82 games, and restore the love we all had for the game. And Bronny would be there. However, it looks like our dream might be more far-fetched than we had realized.
I really don’t know what the proper way to view this whole thing is. I hate seeing injuries. I hate long-term issues that could come from proper development or care come up later in life for players. Trusting one thing over another just is difficult at the moment.
I guess it’s best to just appreciate what we do get to see.