Why are NBA stars sitting out games?
Cavaliers rookie coach David Blatt Was recently asked if anything surprised him about his transition from European basketball to the NBA. He quickly responded with a somewhat unexpected answer: the schedule. Despite notable differences in style of play between the two leagues, Blatt mentioned the struggle of playing multiple games in a week as being the most difficult part about his transition. Though playing more games may seem like a good thing, practices and in-game strategy must be tailored to account for the extra strain being put on player’s bodies in any given week. Practices are few and far between in the NBA. They feature less physical training and instead focus on key strategy adjustments. Physical training takes place in the months leading up to the season, with the hope that players can maintain their form throughout the year. This is a lot to ask of players, and is why coaches have had to become more creative with both their player resting and subbing methods.
More games means less minutes per game that big stars can realistically play, and though they still spend more time on the court than their peers they are starting to ask for more days of rest to protect their bodies. This has caused controversy recently as angry fans complain after having spent a fortune on tickets only to see their favorite player sit the whole game. Placing the blame in this situation is somewhat difficult. Big players understand now more than ever how much their own brand is worth. You can’t blame them for wanting to stay healthy, especially if their team is expecting to make a playoff run that could garner more recognition for the team as well as individual players trying to improve their own value.
In-game strategy, though focused more on the individual in the NBA, must also change accordingly to keep players fresh. Coaches rotate now more than ever, and sometimes even have two full lineups that switch on and off in game. Though stars sitting isn’t great for the league, young players are getting valuable chances to show their stuff, which can actually make games more interesting to watch, especially if you want to see your favorite rookies on the court.
The one positive thing Blatt mentioned about the schedule was the smooth travel between games compared to Europe. The NBA now makes schedules with ease of travel in mind. Rather than going back and forth multiple times, an east coast team may play a good portion of their west coast slate in a row to cut down on travel time and costs. This move is also crucial for time zone adjustment for coastal teams making these trips. I would love to interview players to gauge their sentiment on the issue, but for now I think I speak for all fans when I say I’m enjoying there being games on every night.
Questions to consider?
1. Does sitting key players hurt the brand of the NBA?
2. How might the NBA adjust schedules to allow for more player rest without missing any games?
3. Do star players have an obligation to play?
When comparing the two different leagues schedules, I think it is crucial to look at the markets that they both are catering to. Obviously in Europe, basketball is not as popular as it is in the United States. I think more games in the US correlates with more fans watching, and more sponsors and organizations spending money to advertise and promote their companies. NBA Jerseys, courts, and stadiums are all plastered with company logos and slogans which gives the viewer constant exposure. European markets are smaller and maybe we see fewer games simply because less companies choose to put their money into the sport, thus making it more expensive for the teams to play nightly.
ResponderEliminarI totally agree with your sentiment on the issue. Overexposure is one of the best qualities of the NBA. Their branding and certain player collaborations with major companies allow them to enjoy continued success. Should the league care about player rest at all then?
EliminarTo address some of the questions, I think number 2 is something the NBA can really work on. The NBA season is actually very long for a team that makes it far into the playoffs. The NBA finals can take upwards of 2 weeks if played out in full. I think cutting down the number of playoff teams is actually something that they could strongly consider to increase rest in between games. I do not actually think that stars sitting out hurt the brand of the NBA, either. If a star player does not get the correct rest and ultimately gets hurt, that would hurt the brand even more as it is one less superstar to market through the media. Obviously, there is not as much money invested in European basketball, so it gives it much less flexibility with games and schedules.
ResponderEliminarI agree with what you're saying. There are too many teams make the playoffs in basketball which makes early playoff series pretty pointless because the top seeds always win. In a sport with little parody at all, it would make far more sense to cut down on the number of teams in the playoffs.
EliminarIn response to question #1, I think that sitting key players does hurt the brand of the NBA. While I get that they need proper rest and have to think long term, at the end of the day you should be playing if you're healthy and able to, no matter whether you might be a little tired. As a fan, it is so disappointing when you go to a game purely to see one star player and they are sitting out for no reason. It ruins the game for you and makes you less likely to continue watching. Moving towards question #3, I think as fans we should hold star players to the obligation that they should play night in and night out. Yes, it's a long season, however, this is their job and they knew what they were getting into. The brand of the NBA is already viewed as a little soft compared to other sports, and sitting players only furthers that notion.
ResponderEliminarWhat do you think the NBA should change if this is the case? It is hard to determine whether the blame and responsibility should be put on the players, coaches, ownership or NBA overall. This makes it hard to tackle the problem without upsetting one branch of the operation.
EliminarI think that topic of top NBA players is an topic that needs to be addressed by the NBA. Fans want to see their favorite players plays, but resting one regular season game could help a player in the playoffs when it counts. I think recently the NBA has done a better job in lengthening the schedule and limiting the back-to-back games in order to provide players with rest. However, I do not think this is a problem that will ever be solved as players will always rest in the middle of the season.
ResponderEliminar-micah sakata
Do you think there are other routes we can take to incentivize players to play? Schedule changes have alleviated the pain a bit, but the problem persists. Do you think it is on the NBA to put its foot down and side with the fans, or should we encourage player rest and safety?
EliminarI do not think sitting the key players for a little bit during games hurts the NBA at all. If anything I think it helps because it gives other players a chance to show their skills. Sometimes watching the same players do the same thing over and over again gets boring, even if they are a key player. To allow more space in-between games the NBA could extend the season to give more time to complete all of the games needed. Or the NBA could cut the amount of games played in a season so that there are not as many in the same week. Star players I do not think have an obligation to play, but rather they are expected to play because they are thought of as the best on the team and all teams want to win and coaches want their teams to win as well. The easiest way to win is to play your best players.
ResponderEliminar-Chloe Malkinson
I agree with some of your points. The season for the NBA is incredibly long and the playoffs include too many teams, making them lengthy as well. You're also absolutely right in saying that coaches should keep the best interest of the team in mind, because sitting a key player is often more about strategy than anything else.
EliminarIf one is sitting out a player to rest him for a big game or for the playoffs then it is not hurting the brand. You want to have your players on top of the game for the most important games. In order to allow their players to have more rest, they need to add more space between the games. With the goal being to win, star players should play because they have a significant impact on the team. They need to do what is best for themselves because it is their job, but they should try to play because they are a big part of the team.
ResponderEliminarDo you think the fast pace of the NBA season is something that helps the NBA? There are always games on and good games at that, which keeps fan interest high. Most watch basketball casually rather than waiting weeks and getting hyped for a game. Slowing down the season could have unintended consequences.
EliminarReally interesting trend in the NBA. Especially in the last few years we have been seeing more and more players sitting out games. Coach Pop of the Spurs has been known for most of his career for sitting his players so that they may rest. I think that in the short term this is bad for the NBA brand, but in the long term I think it's smart of coaches to do this. If you rest players more often then they are less likely of getting injured. If players aren't injured then they can stay in the league longer. This was all of the major stars of the NBA can play for as long as possible.
ResponderEliminarI think that sitting key players does not necessarily hurt the NBA brand, but causes fans to be disappointed in the brand. When fans attend games only to find out that one of the star players they were looking forward to seeing is sitting out, it can be extremely disappointing. Although this can be very disappointing, I do not think that it will stop them from ever attending or watching a game again. I believe that star players have an obligation to play, as it is their job, but also to take care of themselves at the same time. If a player is not healthy enough to play, then I believe it is important for them to rest in order to be the best version of themselves on the court. - Isabella Richards
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