Fans will love the NBA’s proposed rule banning teams from resting multiple players, but whose teams will it most adversely affect?
The NBA defines a “star” as someone who was an All-Star or All-Pro over the previous three seasons, and the NBA Board of Governors is about to vote on a measure to prevent clubs from not playing two top players in a game.
From 2020–21 to 2022–23, 49 players were chosen as All–Stars or to an All–NBA squad, with at least one player from 26 different teams earning the “star” designation.
The Magic, Pistons, Spurs and Wizards are the only teams without an All-Star or All-NBA team member from the last three seasons on their rosters, so at least Gregg Popovich will still be free to rest guys anytime he wants.
Some believe that Tony Parker’s early 2010s Spurs teams, which included Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker, were the catalyst for the NBA’s load management crisis.
Six of the clubs who will be impacted have three or more “star” players. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton are on the Bucks, while DeMar DeRozan, Zach Lavine, and Nikola Vucevic are on the Bulls, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, and Donovan Mitchell are on the Cavaliers, and Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant are on the Suns.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and the Timberwolves each had four, while the Warriors had four (Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Chris Paul, and Andrew Wiggins).
The Sixers won’t be able to leave an unhappy James Harden on the bench while they look for a trade if they have to rest Joel Embiid, and teams like the Clippers and Mavericks will have to choose when to rest players.
Damian Lillard of the Trail Blazers is the only “star” in Portland (not that he needs many reminders), so they may have an easier time finding a suitable landing spot after he asked to be traded this summer.
Although the change should reduce some load management, it won’t eliminate it entirely from the sport. Teams with a single “star,” like Ben Simmons in Brooklyn and Zion Williamson in New Orleans, will still be permitted to sit players at anytime they want to
As coaches insert stars into the starting lineup only to remove them from the field early in the game, there will surely be an increase in quick substitutions.
Of course, the NBA could solve the problem by scheduling fewer back-to-backs since those are when teams often rest starters.
The proposed policy is a step in the right direction, notwithstanding a few faults.
