Published 11:19 IST, December 8th 2020
NBA's new rules might NOT let 100% fit players rest for high-profile, regular season games
Before the league can start their 2020-21 season, a new rule by the NBA prohibits teams from resting their healthy players for nationally televised games.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
NBA teams have always come under fire for resting perfectly healthy players, making sure they are ready for the postseason. This season, however, load management might not be possible. The NBA has introduced a new Player Resting Policy, which ultimately affects the team's ability to rest a player when they want to.
New NBA rules prohibit teams from resting their healthy players
As per Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, the teams are not allowed to rest multiple healthy players for the same game. Teams also won't be allowed to rest them for games on the road, which are already scheduled keeping in mind the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. If a healthy player is indeed rested, reports add that he must be visible to fans during the broadcast.
The new policy, per reports, is the league's efforts to salvage their low ratings from last season. The league had low ratings last season, which continued even in the NBA bubble, where there were no fans in attendance. The league has been losing money and viewers at the same time, which will only continue with the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting their season.
According to Sports Business Journal, the league is also giving away $30 million to all teams. The cash will help teams protect their finances affected by the virus, and will help cover things like gate revenue. The league will also be starting the season in December, which gives some teams a very short offseason. The league begins on December 22, where teams will play a 72-game season.
What is load management?
Load management, mostly frowned upon by many, is a way for team's to rest players throughout the season. Players rest during certain games, so teams are sure they remain healthy during the playoffs. This was highlighted during the 2018-19 season, when the Toronto Raptors rested Kawhi Leonard during the regular season.
(Image credits: AP)
Updated 11:19 IST, December 8th 2020