Healthy players sitting out games has been a point of contention this season, particularly following a nationally televised game in which Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich opted to rest their stars. Additionally, the Cavs were subject to criticism earlier this month when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sat out a blowout loss to the Heat. After the game, Tyronn Lue acknowledged LeBron James didn’t like sitting out, but told the Associated Press “he [James] understands the big picture and what we’re trying to accomplish.”
John Wall offered his two cents on the matter, saying he isn’t a fan of high-profile players receiving scheduled days off.
“That’s the difference about our league now. It’s kind of gotten a little softer,” Wall told CSNmidatlantic.com. “Guys sit out and rest. I understand the coach made a decision, you can’t go against what the coach said or the doctor said.”
Wall continued, citing the issue of depriving fans from a complete NBA experience.
“I’m not the type of guy who wants to sit down and rest. I think you owe it to the fans. They paid money to come see us play. That’s how a professional goes out there and competes. If nothing is hurt, you can play go play. I missed games I didn’t want to miss in the past because I was injured. I make up for the time I can make up.”
Wall has backed up his words, playing in all but two of the Wizards‘ games this season. A four-time All-Star, Wall’s comments likely won’t make him many friends around the league. In a June, 2016 article from Baxter Holmes and Tom Haberstroh of ESPN, several players stated the case to shorten the league’s 82-game schedule.
“At at the end of the day, we want to protect the prize, and the prize is the players. We have to continue to promote the game, and if guys are being injured because there are so many games, we can’t promote it at a high level,” James said at the time.
David Aldridge of TNT recently discussed the “conundrum” of helping players find rest opportunities, suggesting teams inform the league of rest games 24 hours in advance. “Doing so allows fans who otherwise might buy tickets a better opportunity to bail,” Aldridge writes, “or at least sell their tickets in hand if they want.”
This league is softer than pudding. Most of these guys are effeminate primadonnas.
It’s basketball. No one is hitting anyone. It’s a pre-madonna league that got more prissy. It’s only gonna get worse. Other sports are already poking fun at them.
heat still win cavs when james and kyrie were on court
Basketball is either entertainment or competition:
1. If it’s entertainment, teams should not be allowed to sit healthy star players without consequence (taking away draft picks, etc.)
2. If it’s competition, the league should not do anything because teams are making decisions that they feel will benefit the team in the playoffs.
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If the league does nothing and teams plan to sit players, they should do it only in home games.
The only other thing the league can do is somehow make regular season success more relevant by changing the rules.
If I want to see entertainment, I watch WWE. There is no competition there. So this should not be made into entertainment. This is competition and teams should do what they please with theirs players.
But it’s not competition if the best players are not put out there. It is the opposite of competition because you are just showing up, not really competing for the win. You cannot ignore the entertainment aspect of the game either. Chess and water polo are very heated competitions, but they don’t have the ratings of the NBA. The fans are not going to pay good money to not see the best players, at least not very long. At the very minimum, they should play everyone in the first quarter like in baseball spring training.
i agree, it should be home games with advanced notice.
I completely disagree. Away games are much better. Why disappoint 90% of the fans in the building instead of 10%?
Maybe fans should support the team in their town instead of waiting for LeBron and Curry to come to town. I was a Warriors fan when they sucked because thats MY CITY. I wasn’t a Bulls fan just because of MJ.
League you impose rules that state, if a team is resting players they should put in writing that says this or those players will be rested 48hrs prior to the team playing. And if it is a last minute call in case a reported injury then a outside doctor not affiliated with either team be called in to give a second opinion. NBA has got to do something to protect the fan, in these overpriced games to watch a bunch of so-called NBA calipher bench warmers play. That 48 hrs would also give the team a chance to do the right thing and give a 50% ticket discount to fans attending that game and a credit to season ticket holders who bought in to the idea that the star players will be playing in all the games, and be able to use that credit for next season season tickets.
You watch wwe for entertainment? Only entertainment you can get there involives AJ Styles, and he’s only been there a year
This is the 2nd or 3rd time in the last couple of days I’ve tried replying to a comment that becomes a stand alone comment…either I’m doing something wrong, or something is wrong with that function, although other people seem to be able to reply withough issue
It’s simple. If certain players miss the game for rest on the road, that team’s owner has to reimburse the fans for half the ticket price. We’ll see who rests then
No, this is just plain dumb. Example:
Home teams sell tickets to THEIR SHOW. Not the visiting team’s.
Players should NOT be allowed to rest at home if anything. Thats where your fans are, thats the franchise that’s selling tickets for fans to see the HOME TEAM.
You save up money after so many years of not getting a chance to see an all time great player, and you go to that 1 game youve been to in a long time, but that player sat out. The games are the easiest part. If anything, sit out a practice. This is the NBA. Everyone is tired. I understand if you have things wrapped up, but this periodic resting throughout the league is starting to move into the ridiculous territory