Resting star players a headache for NBA

WARRIORS AND CAVS BENEFIT FROM REST, NBA TRIES TO REDUCE IT

In bulldozing their respective conferences through the first three rounds of the post-season, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors each earned an extended rest before their highly anticipated showdown in the NBA Finals begins on Thursday.

Both teams appear to be playing their best basketball at the most important time. One of the reasons cited is the strategic rest days given to star players sporadically through the long regular season.

Known in the league as “DNP-Rest,” the practice of sitting healthy players to avoid injury and fatigue has grown in popularity as teams focus more on reducing the wear and tear on the stars that drive the league. And while forward-thinking teams have been praised for putting the player first, there is concern across the league that the approach threatens to alienate fans who pay to see their favourite players, aggravate network executives who paid billions to showcase games, and devalue the regular season.

“We don’t rest. I don’t believe in it,” Miami Heat president Pat Riley said in April. “I think it’s gotten to the point where it’s become a travesty, an absolute travesty. Blatantly. I don’t care how many players you’re resting or who. Who are the ones entitled to get the rest versus who doesn’t rest? We don’t rest.”

Riley had reason to be upset. After an 11-30 start to the season, the Heat rebounded to win 30 of their last 41 games to surge back into playoff contention. Heading into the final day of the season, the Heat needed a win over the Washington Wizards and a Chicago loss to Brooklyn or a Pacers loss to the Hawks to get into the Eastern Conference field as the eighth seed. But the Nets sat Jeremy Lin, Trevor Booker and Brook Lopez, essentially handing the game to the Bulls.