Load management, a phrase that has become increasingly popular each passing NBA season.
It practically means how it reads. Teams manage players' loads by resting them in specific cases throughout the 82-game season to preserve their health.
But because of its amplified frequency, the league is looking for ways to reduce how often its practiced in order to improve the on-court product.
“I think the league is trying to figure out ways to make our game better, to help grow the game, understanding that fan engagement is important for all of us," said New Orleans guard CJ McCollum, the president of the players' association, via The Associated Press. “As a fan of sports, when you go to a game, you want the stars to play. You’re paying a premium on the ticket … or maybe it’s the cable package or whatever you have, you want to see the best players play.”
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Here's what to know about the new rest rules for the 2023-24 NBA campaign:
What are the new NBA rest rules for 2023-24?
These are the five rules teams and players must abide by:
- Only one star player is permitted to rest for one game
- Star players must be available for national TV and in-season tournament games
- Teams must balance between the number of one-game absences for a star player in home games and road games, with a preference for the former
- Teams must abstain from long-term shutdowns or a possibility of one when a star player stops playing or plays in a markedly reduced role in situations that could affect the game's integrity
- Healthy players resting for a game must be present and visible to fans
It's also important to note that players must play a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for MVP, an All-NBA team, Defensive Player of the Year, an All-Defensive team or Most Improved Player honors. A player could also be eligible if they played in at least 62 games, suffered a season-ending injury and played in at least 85% of the regular-season games prior to getting injured.
NBA
Who are the star players affected in the new NBA rest rules?
Based off the aforementioned star players involved in the rules, a total of 25 teams and 50 players (almost 11% of the league) are affected in 2023-24. They are the following:
- Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
- Dejounte Murray, Atlanta Hawks
- Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets
- Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
- Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
- LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
- Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics
- DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls
- Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
- Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls
- Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
- Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
- Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors
- Chris Paul, Golden State Warriors
- Fred VanVleet, Houston Rockets
- Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
- Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
- Paul George, LA Clippers
- LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
- Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
- Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
- Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
- Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
- Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
- Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
- Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
- Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Mike Conley, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
- Julius Randle, New York Knicks
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
- James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers
- Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns
- Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
- Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
- Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
- De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
- Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
- Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
When did rest rules first start in the NBA?
The NBA initially implemented a player resting policy (PRP) ahead of the 2017-18 season. Since then, teams have been restrained from resting healthy players for high-profile/national TV games. If broken, the team got a $100,000 fine at the minimum. Teams also weren't allowed to rest multiple players or rest players for road games if healthy.
How does the NBA hope to benefit from its new rest rules?
The NBA implemented these rules for a reason, reasons which it hopes brings several short- and long-term benefits. In the league's resting policy memo, these are five benefits the NBA hopes emerges from the new rules, via ESPN:
- Achieve greater player participation in the NBA's full 82-game regular season
- Minimize multiple star player absences in the same game
- Prioritize national television and in-season tournament games
- Improve fan and public perception
- Promote compliance via bright-line rules and higher penalties
The NBA understandably wants to put its best product on the court as much as possible, especially when countless fans are expected to tune in for the more riveting matchups.
There's also a transparency factor in terms of gambling, as the NBA is "projected to receive $167 million in revenue from casinos and betting, an 11% increase from last season," according to ESPN, citing sources.
