There’s no doubt that the practice of load management worked out in favor of the Toronto Raptors last year. Being able to rest Kawhi Leonard kept him fresh for the playoffs, and he took advantage of the rest and helped carry his teammates to an NBA title.

The Clippers seem intent on following a similar path with their star man, opting to avoid letting him play back-to-back games and sitting him for “winnable” games. He’s missed four games due to this policy so far. Their record in those games hasn’t been great. In that span, they’ve lost to the Jazz, the Bucks, and the Pelicans. The only win that they’ve pulled out while Kawhi sat was a 150-101 victory against the Atlanta Hawks.

The problem that the Clippers face is the fact that Leonard’s presence on the floor hasn’t always guaranteed a victory. A surprise defeat to the Phoenix Suns, along with a painful lesson from the Houston Rockets, have shown the rest of the NBA that Leonard isn’t some magical salve – especially in a Western Conference that is loaded with talent.

Yes, Paul George just came back, but he can’t carry alone either

A part of the narrative surrounding the Clippers’ early struggles was Paul George’s absence in the first 11 games of the season. The other marquee summer free agent for the Clippers was obviously going to make an impact when he suited up, as shown by his stat line in the first two games: 33 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists in 24 minutes vs the Pelicans and 37 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists in 20 minutes against the Hawks. He shot 10 of 17 from the field in both those games.

The fact that only one victor came out of those two performances is concerning. Late down the stretch of the Pelicans game, George seemed to lose a bit of steam, getting stripped on critical possessions in the closing minutes.

Having another closer like Leonard would have been opportune at the time, because they were playing against an undermanned Pelicans team that didn’t even have its top scorer Brandon Ingram on the floor that night. He certainly would have a made a difference on defense too, especially since George was saddled with foul trouble the entire game.

The Lakers are winning because LeBron James and Anthony Davis are playing

The Lakers were soundly beaten by the Clippers in their opening night match-up, but the tables certainly turned throughout the rest of the early season. They currently sit atop the Western Conference with a 10-2 record, with the only other blemish on their record being a surprising defeat to the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center.

James and Davis saw 33 and 28 minutes against the Hawks in a 122-101 victory against the same team that Kawhi sat against yesterday.

A great deal of their success can be attributed to their star players being on the floor. Davis has missed only one game so far, and hasn’t played less than 31 minutes in all of the contests he’s been part of. James, on the other hand, is also putting in a herculean effort averaging 34.9 minutes a game in his 17th season.

In a brutal season, where up to 10 teams could be contending for the 8 playoff spots in the West, stars have to play together. The level of competition is simply too strong, and every single win counts. 48 wins was what it took to get the 7th and 8th seeds last year, and it’s certainly not going to take any less this year.

The Clippers may not care about their playoff seeding

For the Clippers, rest and recovery for their stars may really take precedence over playoff seeding. It’s hard to imagine them missing the playoffs, just because the roster is too good and Doc Rivers is a title-proven coach.

It seems, though, that they may not really give a damn about what seed they end up with in the playoffs. They may just believe that their roster can win the 16 games necessary for the NBA title no matter what their regular season record is.

Since the Western Conference will be a bloodbath anyway, why not keep the big guns fresh and ready for when it truly matters?

If that’s how the organization feels, there’s only one way to find out if they’re right. There is a chance, though, that their gambit may not pay off.

Editors note: Article updated November 18, 2019 with information about a game between the Lakers and Hawks.