My greatest appreciation for what NBA players go through came in the early 1980s while covering the Los Angeles Lakers. There’s nothing like following a team on road trips of three games in four days, or four games in five days, or six games in 11 days — with early wake-up calls and traveling on commercial flights, not charters — to give one a sense of the grind.
I literally would wake up at 3 a.m. thinking, “Wait, is there a game tonight?” I was tired enough just schlepping a suitcase, a work bag and a portable computer through such garden spots as Richfield, Ohio, in January. But at least my job only required me to write semi-coherent game stories with maybe a little verbal song-and-dance. Exercise was optional.
The reason I bring this up: There’s a growing trend in the NBA for coaches to periodically rest starters in the regular season so they’ll be fresher for the playoffs. So it turns out that what worked for Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan just doesn’t work for today’s players, between the five-star hotels and charter flights.
Yes. This is me, the old guy, shaking my fist at a cloud.
I understand the wear-and-tear players go through. I get why coaches orchestrate this and their players welcome it. Their jobs are dependent on wins and losses, particularly in the postseason. But there’s a degree of pampering today that didn’t exist before.
One byproduct of that is fans paying full retail for tickets (and hot dogs) with the hopes of watching certain players who instead are sitting at the end of the bench in Italian silk and loafers.
And now, with an opposing viewpoint …
“This is not an attempt to sabotage the league,” said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, who has rested one or more starters in six games, effectively giving each three or more games off to this point.
“I really think the beauty of this game and the effort given by players is as great as ever. And there’s something to be said for player development and giving people the opportunity to grow and develop. As a coach, you have to ask yourself, ‘How can I best prepare my team?’”
Budenholzer is a disciple of San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who started all this. Popovich did more than just rest four of his players (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green) for a 2012 nationally televised game against Miami. He seemingly sought to throw a pie in the face of commissioner David Stern: Popovich put the players on a flight home before the last leg of a six-game trip in Miami.
Stern didn’t take it well. He fined Popovich $250,000.
San Antonio reached the NBA finals that season and lost to Miami in seven games. But I’m guessing Pop felt vindicated, especially after resting players again last season, reaching the finals with his aging team again, and this time eliminating the Heat in five games.
Thought bobble above the head of every NBA coach: Hey, that works.
Coaches and players believe the NBA needs to lessen the grind on players. But the only difference in the NBA today from pre-2003 is the playoffs’ opening round is a best-of-five, not a best-of-seven. The postseason has had a 16-team field (four rounds) since 1984.
Today’s players played more competitive games in their youth (AAU) than their predecessors. But should the league and fans get shortchanged for that?
It’s worth noting that Stern’s replacement, Adam Silver, has not yet fined a coach for sitting starters. He also seems more open to easing the regular season schedule, probably by minimizing (if not eliminating) the number of back-to-back games on a team’s schedule.
But Pandora’s box is open. I doubt Popovich, Budenholzer, Golden State’s Steve Kerr and other coaches would resume playing starters in 82 games.
Popovich spoke for all coaches in 2012: “What I do from my perspective is from a coaching perspective. And I think the league operates from a business perspective.”
Budenholzer said it would be “a slippery slope” if the league attempted to dictate policy to coaches. Fair enough. So maybe teams can give fans rebates when two or starters are in street clothes?
Budenholzer understands the backlash, particularly when it comes from former NBA players.
“There’s no question the old-school players had to deal with things as far as travel that was significantly worse than today’s players,” he said. ‘It’s not a level playing ground. Nobody from today is going to win that argument. I’m very respectful of the opinion of fans and media, and at the end of the day this doesn’t exist without them. But if we go back to the days of the Showtime Lakers when they flew commercial, I think we’re always evolving. Players evolve, coaches evolve.”
Teams evolve. And morph. Understand that before you buy a ticket.
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