Courtesy: NY Times
As a fan and member of the media, I find these latest antics by current NBA Coaches to be outrageous. Athletes are supposed to be bigger, better, and stronger in this era of sports. Yet dating back to maybe six seasons ago, starting with Gregg Poppovich of the San Antonio Spurs, the resting of players started to become a taboo past time in the league. Really?
I can’t believe that the millions of fans that pay for expensive cable service or ridiculous ticket prices, have fallen victim to such inexcusable behavior running rampant in the NBA. At first I kind of understood the stance that Coach Popp was taking with his aging roster. Several of his high profile players were nursing nagging injuries, which would’ve made it virtually impossible for them to compete at their normally high level. When you’re gearing up for a post season run through the ultra-competitive Western Conference, you need your roster to be at full strength.
With age not being on the side of Manu Ginobli, Tim Duncan, and at the time defensive stopper, Bruce Bowen, it was a valid move by Popp. In today’s game, you have coaches going the Poppovich route, while resting players in their early to mid-thirties. Totally insane!!
Let’s turn back the clock for a minute. Can anyone remember Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Charles Oakley, Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, an ailing and aging Larry Bird, and a host of other stars taking a night off? Go ahead and think really hard. The aforementioned players would rather cut off the sore limb rather than miss a game; regular season or playoff! That’s what made that NBA action fantastic! Players played for the glory of the game, not the fortune and the fame.
Those things just came along as the extra incentives of competing your guts out. Flashback to June 1998 NBA Finals in Utah; Michael Jordan entered the game with a 102 degree fever, dehydrated, and barely able to walk on his own. The G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) not only played the entire game, but played in spectacular fashion to the tune of 38 points 8 rebounds and 6 assists!
Courtesy: NY Daily News
Patrick Ewing battled creaky knees for a little over six seasons yet he competed in pure warrior fashion every season without taking games off. The point I’m trying to hammer home is that I find it totally inexcusable for today’s players to take games off, just to gear up for the playoffs. Even if a team makes it to the Finals, those participating players still receive 2 months off!
So give me a BREAK!! I would love to see the NBA get together and ban these so called rest periods for players, unless they have medical clearance for non-participation. The integrity of the game that we love is at stake. Let’s try and salvage what little dignity we have left. Go THUNDER!!!!
Though Patrick Ewing passed Walt Fraizer as the leading scorer in New York Knicks franchise history, Ewing never one a NBA Championship. Your discussion talks about players taking a breaks and rest before the playoffs.
Michael Jordan did indeed play with a 102 degree fever but that was the NBA Finals. Something no player would take a seat on the bench for, let alone the G.O.A.T. Imagine if the Bulls lost that game, and Jordan was hospitalized for playing. Everyone would of pointed fingers at Phil Jackson. I believe that the work and the passion of most players is still for the glory of the game. But in Recent years we have seen superstar players get injured and coaches are the ones who take the blame for their injuries. For instance, when Derrick Rose went down in the 4th quarter of Game 1 of Round 1 last year, fingers were first to point at Tom Thibodeau.
Recently, Kobe Bryant went down injuring his Achilles ankle and fingers were first to point at Mike D’antoni. If the Lakers ended up losing to the Rockets or if the Jazz beat the Grizzles then fans and critics would come down harder on D’antoni for not resting Kobe.
In 2000-2001, Allen Iverson entered the NBA Finals vs the Lakers; Iverson’s body was riddled with injuries. Rest at the end of the NBA regular season could have prepared Iverson in helping the 76er’s play off run. Ultimately they lost the series 4-1, giving the Lakers their first and only loss of the playoffs in game 1. I think if the 76ers superstar was completely health and rested for the playoffs things could have been a little different.
Today, everyone looks at the coach to control the team, which they should! Today, minutes equal to injuries. How many minutes has that superstar been playing, that is the first thing critics and fans take into account, regardless of the sport. Coaches have the difficult job of resting their superstars and knowing when to. If some coaches weren’t, we may be arguing that they should of rested their superstars. We can call it “Boobie Mile Syndrome” but coaches are the one’s you should be criticizing rather than the players themselves. Eric Spolestra is the one who sits his superstars, Wade, Bosh and LeBron. I don’t think any players are asking their coach for a seat on the bench, during any point of the season.