Teams like the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers could be two of the hardest hit by the NBA’s new rules to try and curb the growing trend of maintenance days.
The NBA seems to be moving toward another boom period in the years ahead as the last couple of seasons have delivered some very strong ratings for the league’s content. Furthermore, as teams like the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns show off the power of smaller market clubs, the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have had a resurgence, and that is always good for the league.
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However, while there is a lot of positivity about the NBA’s product there has been one consistent problem that has bothered Commissioner Adam Silver and fans, and that’s maintenance days. It’s the practice of resting star players when they are healthy enough to play so that they can preserve their long-term health and make sure they compete in important games later in the season.
It is a strategy that first started with the San Antonio Spurs and has only grown throughout the league over the last decade. But this week the NBA finalized a rule change that attempts to end the tactic. On Wednesday, the board of governors approved a new star rest policy that will limit how often it can be done and severely punish teams who abuse the practice.
NBA targets teams like Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers with new rules
The policy is set to begin this upcoming season, and a star is defined as any player who has been an All-Star or on an All-NBA team in the last three seasons. The new rules state that teams must ensure stars are available for national television and In-Season Tournament games, and no more than one can be unavailable at a time. Plus, the preference is to use their rest days during home games instead of away.
If they don’t adhere to the guidelines, organizations could be fined as much as $1 million for every time they violate the rules. Which is a huge jump from the previous fine maximum of $100,000.
“If you’re a healthy player in this league, the expectation is that you’re going to play,” Silver said after the new resting rules were made official.
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Silver has been very outspoken against maintenance days and the new policy is sure to affect powerhouse clubs like the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers. All of those teams either have aging stars or major players with long injury histories.
It will be interesting to see if certain franchises believe a million-dollar penalty on occasion will be worth it to make sure a top player stays healthy longer.