Knicks' David Fizdale Rips Load Management When Discussing RJ Barrett's Minutes

It's safe to say New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale is not a fan of load management across the NBA.

"We got to get off this load-management crap," Fizdale said when asked about rookie RJ Barrett's playing time following his team's 113-92 loss to the Sacramento Kings, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. "Latrell Sprewell averaged 42 minutes for a season. This kid is 19. Drop it already."

Barrett played 41 minutes in the blowout loss, and Berman noted Fizdale put the Duke product back into the game during garbage time.

For his part, Barrett said he is fine playing the number of minutes he has seen in the early portion of his career.

"I'm 19," he said. "I'm good. If I felt it wasn't, I'd tell him."

Still, this is already shaping up to be a lost season for the 1-6 Knicks. Barrett is one of the building blocks at 19 years old after New York selected him with the No. 3 overall pick, and he showed flashes of his potential already this season with 26 points against the Boston Celtics. Keeping him healthy and on a track of improvement is probably even more important than wins and losses at this stage.

That hasn't stopped Fizdale from playing him heavy minutes out of the gates. In seven games this season, Barrett has two with 40 or more minutes to just one with less than 36 minutes. He has also shot 3-of-15 (20 percent) from three-point range in four games since the Boston one and was just 1-of-5 against the Kings.

Sprewell is certainly a head-turning choice when making the point Fizdale was going for when criticizing managing minutes in the form of load management.

He was not exactly the poster player for aging well in the NBA during his 13 seasons. He spent the first six years of his career on the Golden State Warriors, the next five on the New York Knicks and the final two on the Minnesota Timberwolves and saw his points per game, assists per game and field-goal percentage drop with each new stop.

What's more, three of his four All-Star appearances came in his first five seasons.

Ideally for the Knicks and Barrett, he will play at an All-Star caliber far deeper into his career.