Rockets G Pat Beverley on the DNP-Rest trend: "I think that's bulls---. I think that's a disgrace to this league. I think that fans deserve better. I could care less about coaches ask players to rest or not. It's up to you to play or not, and if you don't you're disrespecting the game. And I don't believe in disrespecting the game, because there was a time where I wasn't playing in the NBA and I was trying to get here. So me resting I feel like is disrespecting me, disrespecting the name on the front of the jersey and disrespecting the name on the back of the jersey."
I've LONG thought players need more rest than theyve been given. 90% members of this forum can barely push a grocery cart around without huffing and puffing. And its expecting players bodies to be made of durable rubber with limitless lung capacity. Humans get fatigued and worn playing sports no matter how greatly conditioned they are. And only rest and recuperation can restore full function. The whole righteous attitude that "players today" arent leaving it all out on the court is bull, players are asked to do more now than before. The player movement tracking devices pressures players to cover more ground on both sides of the ball but especially on defense. The NBA schedule needs to adapt around health of its players, more than the players needing to conform to the grind. I agree with Popovich much more than I disagree.
Pop rests his older players, not so much the young dudes. It's understandable to rest your older group on B2B games but teams have taken it to a new level, lately. We're starting to see teams rest younger players and guys who aren't even in their prime yet. Granted, most of the teams that are doing this are way ahead in the standings so they can afford to get away with it, but overall it's not good for the game of basketball. I certainly won't be buying any tickets next year when we host the Cavs.
Any fines or penalties for resting players should be equally distributed to lottery teams who shut down their starters for the season in an attempt to lose as many games as possible. It's hypocritical to penalize the Spurs for resting Kawhi when he has to play a hundred or more games because he and the Spurs are good enough to keep playing in the post season and not penalize the Suns, Lakers, etc. for shutting down their best players, not for a game, but for the rest of the season, mind you, so that they can lose more games. Totally hypocritical not to penalize those teams and then pick out a playoff team for resting a guy that they've got to rely on to help them win an extra 16 games while playing an extra 16 to 28 games.
I'm of the opinion that you should be allowed to do it, but that doesn't mean we have to respect it. It's is disrespectful to the game in some ways, and players who form a habit of demanding rest should absolutely be scrutinized for it and punished in MVP considerations alike. I get that it has probably helped extend some careers, but it's still lame. The players should at least want to play and the coach forces them to sit. I'd almost rather the coach just made up some bs injury so we didn't have to hear about it like this. Cheapens the product and just riles people up otherwise.
yes being able to play in the playoffs is important but that's definitely not the only time guys want to be out there.
Does the league need to stop superstars from sitting ? NO Superstars need to stop superstars from sitting. Pride, desire, loyalty to teammates & fans. Not more edicts from an overbearing federal government/ league officials. States Rights/ players rights.
Kevin Durant on resting flap: 'It's only for a couple of players in the league' Spoiler "The truth about it is, it's only for a couple of players in the league," Durant told ESPN. "They don't care if the 13th man on the bench rests. It's only for like LeBron [James], Steph [Curry], [James] Harden, Russell [Westbrook]. It's only for like five players. So you want a rule just for those five players?" ... "Players, if anything, need a mental break sometimes. And sorry, they're human," Durant told ESPN. "They go through so much every single day. There are so many obligations off the court that you don't know about. ... It might not be a physical break, it might just be a reset mentally, and I get that. "And I also get if I was a fan and could afford to get tickets, and I'm circling LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook on my calendar, I would want to see them play live. I would be disappointed as well. I see it from the fans' perspective and the players' perspective. I'm caught right in the middle." ... Durant also questioned why there was an absence of outrage when teams at the bottom of the standings have implemented a similar "resting" tactic for longer periods of time. "It's hard for you to just craft a rule out for the top players," he said. "I've seen guys that's not even in the playoffs resting, sitting out for the rest of the season. And it's nothing against those guys. I'm not trying to bash them or anything. [Phoenix Suns center] Tyson Chandler is out. They got him sitting out for the rest of the year. I'm sure he wants to play, but they're not saying anything about Tyson Chandler, so it's hard for me to really talk about this. It's not a league-wide rule. It's not a league-wide concern. "It's only a concern for the top players." While he feels bad for fans who paid for tickets only to see their favorite players on the bench, Durant has a soft spot for the less-fortunate fans who don't have the financial means to purchase a ticket to an NBA game. "I understand what the fans are saying about buying tickets and not seeing their favorite players play," Durant said. "On the other hand, there's a lot of people that can't even afford tickets to the game. So, I kind of feel sorry for you, but then I don't when I look at it that way. "I'm looking at it as a big picture, because a lot of these people can't afford to even come to these games and have the opportunity to come watch these players up close and live. Your parents spend hard-earned money, I understand you want to see your favorite players, but there's some people who don't even get a chance to watch a game live." But Durant wants fans to understand that, while it's never a good time for a player to sit out, he believes an occasional day off is beneficial for the long-term success of the player and organization. "As far as rest goes, I think mentally it's good for players just to get away," Durant said. "Not even worrying about having to go through shootaround or mentally preparing for their matchup or playing the game. I think mentally it does help when you get a day not to worry about basketball because we're so consumed with the game 24/7. "... But most guys do want to play, love to play and want to be out there. So I understand both sides. It's not like I'm taking sides at all. I understand both of them, but sometimes you may need a mental break from it, especially when you're that top-level player like LeBron, Kyrie or Westbrook -- though he doesn't sit out -- and Harden. Sometimes you need that mental break away from the game, and I understand that. And I understand the fans. I'm right in the middle."
Those 5 guys should not be sitting on road games. Those guys are who people pay to see. No one is there to Pat Bev they are there to see harden.
My biggest problem is . .. if they need rest. . . . why not do it by letting then NOT PRACTICE Let them have practice days off Rocket River
Simple solution, any player resting should give up their salary....In turn the team should sell tickets at a reduced price. Now that is fair and highly improbable, greedy players and teams ain't about to do that.
This. I don't accept the "they are human and need rest" excuse. That's their job they are paid to do. If they think it's so much work that they can't handle, they shouldn't have signed the contract that pays them millions of dollars. If they want rest, they shouldn't get paid for that game and the fans should at least get part of the money back.
The root problem of this is the lack of parity in the league. The good teams can afford to rest players later because they a)already have a good seed due to their talent differential and b) shitty teams are so bad they have no draw besides watching LeBron or Harden play against them once or twice a season.
