NBA: What To Do About Rest Days?

Players, coaches and fans are grumbling about NBA star players taking “rest days.” Are they fair to critique and if so what do we do about it?

To sit or not to sit? That is the question, and a hot-button issue at that. It’s the time of the year where coaches debate whether to designate their best players to the pine for needed rest while media pundits and social media “experts” weigh in with their wisdom.

It’s an age-old dilemma, a question that’s been asked since NBA players began burning calories and becoming fatigued. In other words, whether or not the Charles Barkleys like to admit, he probably sat out games due to “rest” too.

But now, like everything else, the debate is overanalyzed. Every decision to sit a star player is picked and prodded under a microscope. A quote or soundbite from a player on the topic is evaluated ad nauseam.

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Obviously the NBA is concerned. In a recent memo, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called the practice of resting players “an extremely significant issue for our league” and it will be a major topic of discussion at the next NBA Board of Governors meeting.

Silver is right to be concerned. The NBA is paid big bucks from ABC for primetime games, and when about half-a-dozen all-stars sit out, as they did in the Cleveland vs. Golden State matchup, it raises a stink.

Players are concerned too. Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverly recently chided the trend of resting players, calling it a “disgrace.” Rocket’s guard James Harden also made poignant remarks about the practice.

But why is this so controversial and what is the correct way to handle the issue? To answer the former query, the debate centers on maybe one of the most polarizing players in the NBA in LeBron James. And any major story surrounding James is going to attract disdain and division. Whether it be his propensity to flop, take his talents to South Beach, or in this case, rest, LeBron is often the first wind in a swirl of debate.

He’s also the league’s biggest spokesperson; undoubtedly the NBA’s biggest attraction. The hater, outsider and common fan alike often judge all basketball players on the actions of LBJ. Think about that overzealous, college hoops-or-die guy on Facebook. When LeBron sits, he calls NBA players “soft.” I bet he wouldn’t be saying that if it were Dion Waiters resting.

But it’s only fair to note that players aren’t missing time because they chose to. Tyronn Lue pointed out that Kyrie Irving left the previous game with a serious knee injury, and Kevin Love was still battling a nagging injury. The Warriors were also battling a stint of lengthy injuries. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that only 18 players played all 82 games last year. The total regularly topped the 40s in the 90s.

Getting back on point, this discussion is much larger than James, the Cavs and Warriors. When fans flip on the tube or shell out a day’s pay for tickets, they don’t want to see reserves. It’s a bad look. You probably saw that one guy on Facebook call the NBA a “fraud” or players “soft” after the Warriors and Cavs game. Maybe you were that guy.

So, for obvious reasons, sitting players is controversial. Baseball players get a free pass because they play 162 games a year. NBA players don’t

But should they? The answer is both yes and no. First of all, it can be practical decision.

Back to LeBron. Two years ago, King James took a two-week hiatus. The Cleveland Cavaliers were in a rut and so was LeBron. So he embarked on a two week vacation, returned and helped guide the Cavs to a finals appearance.

Last year LeBron missed six games, whether for “rest” or injury. Ditto so far this season. And it seems to be working; LeBron is .2 rebounds away from averaging a triple double after three-plus days of rest. But to only at the numbers is missing the point. Fans only care about the idea, not the result. And as FanSided recently noted, James vocal defenses of his in-season breaks doesn’t help.

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The data is limited, but it seems to be common sense that the more rest players get, the longer their careers. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is known for shortening players’ seasons with frequent rest days. Five titles later Pops is considered to be an all-time great. And his guys have stood the test of time; Tim Duncan played 19 seasons while Manu Ginobili is in year 15 and Tony Parker 16.

Most fans wouldn’t complain if their favorite program had the Spurs pedigree. And most fans wouldn’t complain if their favorite players last an extra two or three years at the cost of sitting a couple nights. Ask any sour Bulls fan; they probably wish Tom Thibodeau would have granted Derrick Rose a couple extra nights off.

But on the other hand, the Spurs brand is based on “team ball.” You watch San Antonio for their quick passes, solid shooting and sound defense. Yes, Kawhi Leonard is an incredible talent. But you turn on the Spurs for the Spurs, not Leonard. If you pay $200 dollars to sit in the lower deck at At&T Center, you won’t be livid if Leonard sits. If you pay $200 to watch a game in Cleveland, you expect LeBron. Comparing the Spurs to most other teams is like comparing apples to apricots.

Ultimately, we need to arrive at some middle ground. Basketball has become bruising, physical sport and playing 82 games isn’t as feasible as it used to be. But when the stars are no shows for a primetime game, the NBA’s image takes a beating. A possible solution, NBA teams need to report scheduled rest days to the league in advance. Most coaches plan this stuff weeks in advance anyways. The second night of a back-to-back on a long road trip is a popular time to let players sit.

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And the NBA needs to be smart when scheduling primetime games. Matching up the Cavs and Warriors in the middle of March when one team is playing their second straight game probably isn’t the smartest move.

The practice of sitting players isn’t going to stop, but maybe we can figure out how to cope with it a little better.