I’m a Doris Burke fan. She’s a pro’s pro, a reputable veteran media member who I’m pretty sure garners a lot of national respect. I’m not sure I’ve encountered anybody who dislikes her.

That said…

This is a boomer take:

Doris says this, in part:

It is mind-boggling to me that Kawhi doesn’t want to play against the reigning MVP and he’d rather play against Portland tomorrow night on TNT. I believe the league has a long-term problem. When it pinches them, I don’t know. But Kawhi not playing to me is ridiculous at this point. I don’t understand it. He is a great player. He is compelling to watch. If you’ve watched any of his games he’s been absolutely brilliant in the fourth quarter and won them a ton of games. The Clippers obviously have a responsibility to Kawhi and to winning and to long term (success). But the league also, I believe, is and should be concerned, that their best players are not playing on nights when they’re on national television.

Burke pretty much countered her own take there when she said that the Clippers have a “responsibility” to Kawhi. Furthermore, here’s why her take comes from the family of boomer and anti-process takes:

Kawhi played 60 regular season games last year and the Raptors won the whole damn thing. They paced him throughout the year in the same exact way the Clippers are doing right now. We have fresh evidence, literally a few months old, right in front of our faces, that proves that load management is not only 100% justified, but that the strategy works for Kawhi specifically. He’s a 28-year-old player with recent injury history and he should absolutely receive special attention.

Bottom line is that NBA teams have to say “fuck the fans and broadcasters,” which is disappointing, but true. They have to do what’s best for their players and their chances to compete in the playoffs. I shouldn’t have to remind you of the time Joel Embiid played three overtimes against the Oklahoma City Thunder, then missed the next three games. It was fun for everybody to watch, but ultimately bit the Sixers in the ass.

So yeah, it might be a bummer that Embiid or Kawhi are on the bench for the game that you brought your 10-year-old son to, but it’s a long, 82-game season with a lot of travel. Athletes wear down. If you don’t like it, criticize the league for cramming together a schedule with back-to-back games instead of just trying to space things out reasonably. The NBA caters to the almighty dollar, as we all know, and that’s why these Kawhi and Embiid situations continue to arise, because it’s just not reasonable to expect everybody to play every single night.

Similar to Conor McGregor, Kawhi should take this opportunity to apologize… to absolutely nobody.