The NBA is ready to address the issue of healthy stars sitting out games during the regular season.
Commissioner Adam Silver held a conference call Friday with the league’s competition committee, developing guidelines to deal with the topic, relays ESPN.com. He plans to “strongly recommend” that teams rest their stars only during home games, with a limit of one per contest.
In theory, this will eliminate the problem of fans in cities where LeBron James or Stephen Curry plays once or twice a year missing out on seeing the stars in action after paying top dollar for tickets.
“Where we’re heading is the adoption of guidelines that will be in place for next season which will strongly recommend that the extent they rest, they rest at home, and teams also not rest multiple starters on the same night,” Silver said. “Let’s see how that plays out.
“I’m reluctant to get into the business of directing these great coaches on minutes. As you know, players are often injured during the season, not to the point where they otherwise can’t play but maybe shouldn’t play. Then it’s a function of league doctors versus team doctors on how healthy a player is and whether it’s appropriate a player should be on the floor that night.
“I’d like to come up with a system that relies on the good faith of our teams that to the extent rest is necessary — and it is on occasion — that it’s done in an appropriate [manner] but the league executives are not dictating to coaches and GMs precisely what games their players should or shouldn’t be playing in.”
It’s a problem unique to the NBA. The series nature of baseball means no one objects when a player gets a night off. NFL players never skip games with they’re healthy, unless it’s a meaningless one at the end of the season. NHL players have a tough-guy code and most wouldn’t think of sitting out a game just for rest.
But it’s an issue in pro basketball, as teams worry about being healthy and fresh for the playoffs.
We want to know what you think of Silver’s new guidelines. Do they go far enough? Do you believe the league will enforce them? Or is this really a problem at all?
Please share your opinion in the comments section. We look forward to what you have to say.
I don’t agree with the home game only idea.
With prices the way they are nowadays I can afford one game a year maybe as a Warriors fan. Once they move to the new arena, I won’t be able to attend a game most likely.
The home fans deserve the best treatment. I wouldn’t go to a game in Cleveland and expect them to sell me a ticket to see Steph Curry. Its Clevelands job to provide their own show, if you’re not there for the home team you can’t complain.
I feel bad for the kids but its the price of tickets which make it such a big deal.
It’ll be too easy for teams to claim that a player is injured anyway.
An easy loophole.
What they need to do is eliminate back to back games. Why would there be 3 days off followed by a back-to-back?
The league needs to take accountability here and fix the problem themselves stop blaming the coaches.
Yet the league’s thee best teams, warriors, spurs and cavs seem to rest their players the most
NBA has a scheduling problem not a rest problem.
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
The games are the easiest part. If anything, sit out a practice. Maybe limit someones minutes for a night or 2. 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. If someone is injured or could potentially get injured b/c they’re banged up, that’s a different story. But to miss a game simply to miss a game for essentially no reason is just a middle finger to the fans, and it’s disrespectful to the former players and the game itself. I agree with making sure your guys are healthy, but not to the extent we saw this season, including with losing teams doing it. If you’re good to go, you’re good to go.
…forgot to add that back to backs and 4 games in 5 nights are already at an all time low. Flights are way easier than they ever were. So that stuff isn’t an excuse unless you have a guy banged up
Yea but they will always be able to say that they are hurt and need a night off.
I prefer that than saying it’s rest
I guess being a baseball fan makes this all seem really petty.
What a dumb idea. The reason players need to rest is because of the NBA’s insane travel schedule with teams playing back to backs after flying many hundreds of miles. Players need and deserve more rest, at least until the NBA ends road back to backs
wat he’s saying is that if they rest… rest at home…I guess none of you guys have ever payed $354 for tickets behind the glass to c ah Superstar studded team and all of the Stars stay home!!! if u knew in advance u wouldn’t pay that for seats would u??? excellent idea… hope it goes into play soon
Bottom line is the league cannot tell teams how to run their franchises with policy like this. If this goes into effect then teams will simply conjure up an injury to rest players when they feel like it. There’s always a work around.
The reason this is even an issue is because of all of the scheduled back to backs, which are a terrible idea. That said, the visiting team should still be allowed to rest players; if I’m going to an NBA game, it’s to watch my favorite team, not see an opponent’s players. If I wanted to see an opponent’s players, I’d watch one of their games instead.
“It’s a problem unique to the NBA. The series nature of baseball means no one objects when a player gets a night off. ”
WHAT?? I go to like two baseball games a year. I totally complain when the best player on my or the other team misses a game. I also understand it’s part of the game because players need to rest.
I hate Silver’s “only rest during home games” proposal. Like most NBA fans, one game a year is a realistic max for me. I’d be way more ticked about missing a star player for my team than for another team.