Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers and Paul George #13 during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on December 29, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
The NBA recently announced new rules aimed at curbing the trend of resting stars. The rule was immediately seen as a response to teams like the LA Clippers, who have been known to rest their star players Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in hopes of preserving them. Now, they will be unable to rest both players on the same night, which will force them to be more strategic when sitting Kawhi and George.
While Clippers coach Tyron Lue has stated his goal of having his two stars take the regular season more seriously, both players do have extensive injury histories. As a result, the reality is that neither is likely to play 70 games in a season, let alone the full 82-game schedule. That could soon put the Clippers at odds with the NBA.
How the NBA’s new rule could be a double-edged sword for the Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers will soon have to think twice about when to give their two best players a rest, and it could be a double-edged sword. The new rules are intended to make it harder for teams to sit their healthy stars, which could lead to stars playing more games. That is obviously a good thing, in theory, and for LA, that could lead to more wins, with Kawhi and George more available.
That would also potentially lead to a better seed and a more advantageous playoff matchup. Of course, the Clippers’ point of resting them is so that they will be healthy for the postseason, and playing more games may lessen the probability of that happening.
On the other hand, the counterpoint would be that even with the amount of rest Lue has given them, it hasn’t resulted in them both being healthy come playoff time. Lue probably already knows that by now, which has led to him putting more emphasis on the regular season going forward.
All in all, the NBA’s new rule affects the Clippers more than any other team, given the health of their two stars. However, Kawhi and George were probably going to rest less next season anyway, but the new rule does complicate when they can.
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Author: Cal Durrett
September 14, 2023 | 12:30 pm
