Cavaliers catching heat for resting stars against Clippers

A short time before the game Saturday in L.A., the Cleveland Cavaliers announced that stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love would not play versus the Clippers. The NBA is not happy.

Players getting rested is a normal thing nowadays. Popularized by Gregg Popovich, teams will often sit their players when they feel that they have been overworked. However, when national television ratings are in danger, the league seems to take more notice.

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After players from both the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs rested during ABC’s last Saturday night prime-time game and the Cavs rested players this past weekend, it seems like the league (and others) have had enough.

David Griffith, the Cavaliers GM, said the league was quick to let him know.

Griffith supposedly felt bad about the incident, but noted that this is the direction the league has gone.

The resting of players has angered many fans, especially in high profile games against inter-conference teams. The Cavaliers only play the Clippers once in L.A. during the season. Fans had this game marked on their calendars months in advance and paid high dollars to see stars from both teams participate in a (likely) competitive game. However, they were left with bench versus Clippers.

Former and current NBA players

LeBron James

Former and current NBA players made their opinion known on the rest of stars. LeBron James was reportedly not on board with the decision to sit him. After the game, head coach Tyronn Lue said the following:

"“He was mad, but I just thought for him it was the right decision. Not to go out there and try to carry the whole load by himself and playing more minutes.”"

However, LeBron’s tune seems to have changed.

"I don’t think the NBA can do anything about it. At the end of the day, it sucks at times where certain guys have to rest, but certain guys need rest.And it’s a long, strenuous season and the NBA does a great job of putting the schedule together as best as they can. You’re going to have back-to-backs. You’re going to have certain games where certain things fall on certain nights, but a coach’s job is to figure out a way for their team to compete for a championship, not compete for a game.LeBron definitely wants to appear in yet another NBA Finals, so maybe that’s helping him come to term with missing a regular season game here and there.Karl MaloneThe Mailman, among other former players, didn’t like that players rested. He took to calling out everyone.(1/2) HOF'er Karl Malone: "if you don't have at least 10 yrs experience, get your a** playing. It's not work, it's called playing. Besides..— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) March 19, 2017Malone also made a weird comparison to service members around the country not resting. Ignoring that, he echoes the sentiment of many of us. We want to see the best play. It’s a pain to make special accommodations, only to not get to see what you paid for. (Note: LeBron still wouldn’t have played under Karl Malone’s rule.) Mar 18, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA: LA Clippers head coach Doc Rivers during a press conference prior to a NBA game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsDoc RiversThe Clippers head coach was asked on his opinion of resting players, which was especially relevant since he had just rested Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan Thursday against the Nuggets. He had the following thoughts:“We have to protect our product,” Rivers said. “It’s hard. It’s impossible, if you actually knew what went into scheduling, but the look of back-to-back ABC national games — it’s not good. I hate it for the fans. I really do. I hate it. I do it. We all do it. I mean, it’s bad. And I did it the other night in Denver. There are people with Blake and DJ jerseys all over the place.”Doc Rivers is torn on the issue. The NBA both wants the best product on the floor every night, but also wants to make sure players are healthy to bring in ratings and excitement come playoff time.Fixing this?There’s no easy way to fix this. Many would argue that dropping the number of games would be better for players, but owner’s don’t want to lose the revenue they get for 82 games plus playoffs. So, what is the sweet spot regarding this?Personally, I think the biggest fix would be cutting down on the preseason and starting regular season a little earlier. Although this probably wouldn’t eliminate all of the back to back games, it would significantly cut down on them. Doc Rivers seemingly had an idea regarding national TV games.“I think we have to treat those games like they’re afternoon games, and you don’t play the night before,” Rivers said. “And then you don’t play the next night after.”This idea is a start, but what happens when you’re a fan of a lowly team and just want to go see a LeBron James, Steph Curry or Blake Griffin type player? Your game is probably not being nationally televised and they could only be in your neck of the woods for one game a year. I’ve felt this pain before as a Clippers fan on the east coast.Whatever the solution is, the NBA needs to work towards it. Both players and fans deserve some sort of compromise to keep both sides happy going forward.More from ClipperholicsGrade the trade: Clippers shockingly land Trae Young in wild proposal3 of the most overpaid players on the LA Clippers’ rosterTrading for this player covers the Clippers’ biggest weaknessHow will the LA Clippers fare in the in-season tournament?Why the LA Clippers should steer clear of recent gold medalist waiverPublished on 03/20/2017 at 9:34 AM PDTLast updated on 03/20/2017 at 9:34 AM PDT I don’t think the NBA can do anything about it. At the end of the day, it sucks at times where certain guys have to rest, but certain guys need rest.And it’s a long, strenuous season and the NBA does a great job of putting the schedule together as best as they can. You’re going to have back-to-backs. You’re going to have certain games where certain things fall on certain nights, but a coach’s job is to figure out a way for their team to compete for a championship, not compete for a game.(1/2) HOF'er Karl Malone: "if you don't have at least 10 yrs experience, get your a** playing. It's not work, it's called playing. Besides..— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) March 19, 2017“We have to protect our product,” Rivers said. “It’s hard. It’s impossible, if you actually knew what went into scheduling, but the look of back-to-back ABC national games — it’s not good. I hate it for the fans. I really do. I hate it. I do it. We all do it. I mean, it’s bad. And I did it the other night in Denver. There are people with Blake and DJ jerseys all over the place.”“I think we have to treat those games like they’re afternoon games, and you don’t play the night before,” Rivers said. “And then you don’t play the next night after.”"