Of course load management can help. Like everyone says, not like the nba which is a joke, but a judicious day off here and there would obviously help.
I am middle aged now and not an athlete anymore but I still lift, and periodically you need a “de-load” period. The specific program I follow, reverse pyramid training, requires more frequent de-loads than other programs, but in all cases what happens is that people who just keep going to the gym and banging iron hit a wall and cannot progress further. If you try to push through you start to go backwards. The body simply needs time to recuperate and reset.
(A de-load is a week where you intentionally dial back your workouts and take it easy.)
In lifting, this is because your muscles can keep growing forever, but your connective tissues and central nervous system become overloaded and need a break.
The CNS point holds across all athletic activity. Cross country running, lifting, baseball, tennis, etc. All athletes benefit from a periodic rest and reset of the CNS.
