As Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards heads to his first All-Star Game on Sunday, a reporter asked him what he could change in the NBA if he had the skill.
For Edwards, there’s not much he would do. If I could though, I would change one thing that has become a hot topic in recent seasons.
«Probably all the guys sitting down, resting,» Edwards replied. «That’s the only thing I probably don’t like. Just play, man. If you’re 80%, 70, you’ve got to play. I don’t like all the games of sitting around getting lost and stuff. These people might have enough money to come to a game, you know what I’m saying, that could be the game they come to and then you’re left out.
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«It makes me proud to try to play every game because you never know if there’s a fan that never saw me play and I’m trying to play.»
Load management for players has been something the NBA has struggled with for a while. While they understand the importance of athletes’ fatigue, many also share Edwards’ mindset: Fans come to see the best players.
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During the 2019-20 season, we see him a lot with the Los Angeles Clippers, as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George got plenty of rest. But players like LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Jimmy Butler are just a few who have also had rest days despite not being injured, as teams believe it’s not worth the risk of a star player getting hurt in some regular season games.
The NBA decided during the 2020-21 campaign that healthy players could not sit out during nationally televised games or during road games when «unusual circumstances» were not present. Those circumstances are a bit loose, but the emphasis is on national television games.
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If teams break that rule, they will be fined at least $100,000 on national television stages.
It’s something you won’t have to worry about with Edwards, who became a star early in his career with the Timberwolves. Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns are also big names in Minnesota.
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However, load management will likely continue to be a factor in teams’ strategies for the 82-game regular season.