For those asking about Mikel’s back injury management designation, this minutes restriction was always about more than his ankle. It’s about managing his initial workload after he missed the second half of last season and most of the preseason. Jordi Fernandez quote to me ahead of the opener ⬇️ “The reality is when you get drafted, it's a very tough summer. You do all these workouts right into Summer League. You almost don't have a break, and then you go into training camp. And that's why we always say the most important summer is that next summer, because you can work the whole way through and focus on your body… And then I think you're more equipped, plus you have the experience under your belt. But that first summer, you just throw them into the fire. So we just want to be careful. And one of the reasons why Mikel is in that minutes restriction is because we have to be careful with him and not get too excited. And I think that's the right thing to do for him and for the team.”