The player rest conundrum has been the dominating news in the NBA world over the past month or so. Several teams have rested star players during primetime national television games, leading to heated debate about the NBA product and how the rest issue is impacting teams and fans alike.
Former NBA MVP Steve Nash is the latest person to join the discussion. Speaking on Sirius XM NBA Radio, the former Suns’ point guard admitted that more rest could have helped his career, especially in the postseason where Nash did not have much success:
"I was always tired in the playoffs, I could have needed the rest. Frankly, this is the way the game is going to go." –@SteveNash on resting
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) March 31, 2017
"It's an evolution. Unfortunately, it's painful for the fan. It's very tricky on what's right & wrong" -More @SteveNash on players resting
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) March 31, 2017
It’s interesting to hear a level of nuance on the topic from a former player considering most of them tend to say they would never rest.
Advancements in health sciences have told organizations that playing 82 games in such a compact time is a difficult load to manage even for NBA level athletes. So, in the interest of staying healthy in the postseason and prolonging health, it makes sense that teams should rest their high-usage players.
The NBA has a legitimate issue on its hands. It can’t truly limit how teams rest players because it’s a slippery slope when compounded with real injuries. But it can’t continue to have teams rest stars and ruin both the in-arena and television experience. Nash’s comments only make the issue clearer.
