The new NBA resting policy is part of the recent efforts to make the regular season more meaningful. In the last few seasons, teams have been opting to have their star players sit out when they are healthy enough to play.
Although it makes sense to have your best players rested for the playoffs, regular season games still need to have meaning. Teams are no longer allowed to rest more than one star player at a time or for a nationally televised game.
There are a few additional rules for the NBA player resting policy, but all you need to know is that star players won’t be sitting out as frequently as they have been.
“If the science were clearer that players should be resting, we would be favoring it.”
NBA Commisioner Adam Silver discusses the Board of Governors’ decision-making process behind the new Player Participation Policy. pic.twitter.com/YlDe2nMqBk
— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 13, 2023
This should be good for the league overall, but there’s a reason why certain teams were resting their stars. Below are four teams most impacted by the new NBA resting policy.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns have a star-studded roster, but they probably weren’t too happy to hear about the rule change. Their top stars include Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. Durant is now 35 years old and hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since the 2018-19 season.
Beal has also struggled to stay healthy in recent years, and he isn’t getting any younger. Booker has been the most reliable of the three, but he’s already nursing a strained calf.
Phoenix is all-in for this season, but the NBA resting policy could put more pressure on their injury-prone stars. This is something to keep in mind when doing any online gambling in Arizona.
NBA players resting can ruin the on court product, and can also impact how bettors place their wagers.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers rested their stars just as much as any other team, if not more, in the last few years. They have a roster with unbelievable talent, but health has been a real issue for them. It feels like we’ve seen Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in their street clothes way more than their actual uniforms.
After making a blockbuster trade for James Harden, the Clippers have added another superstar to their lineup. Not to mention, Russell Westbrook also re-signed with Los Angeles this off-season.
With four big-name players on their roster, it will be harder for the Clippers to sit them throughout the year.
Golden State Warriors
No other NBA team has more players than Golden State on the list of “stars” that this rule applies to. Their league-leading four stars include Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Chris Paul.
The Splash Bros are NBA icons, so it’s disappointing when fans don’t get to see them play when they come to town. They also haven’t been very durable in the later stages of their careers, which is why the NBA player resting policy impacts them significantly.
Adding CP3 to the mix should make things interesting, but the 38-year-old could also use a breather here and there.
Los Angeles Lakers
Both Los Angeles teams will need to adjust to the new rule change. When it comes down to it, this policy is focused on the stars of the NBA. Who’s been the biggest star for the last two decades? None other than LeBron James.
The Lakers will certainly use a few of their rests on LeBron throughout the year, but the new rule makes it so that we will see a lot more of the 38-year-old. Not only is this the case for King James, but it also applies to Anthony Davis.
Davis has had major health issues with the Lakers, so it’ll be interesting to see how he holds up throughout 2023-24.