The Briefing Room
General Category => Sports/Entertainment/MSM/Social Media => Topic started by: Machiavelli on April 01, 2017, 05:42:50 pm
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Paul Coro
Los Angeles Times
April 1, 2017
NBA commercials, billboards and game tickets promote its star power.
The spectacle of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook squaring off is mentioned more than the teams involved.
So, it’s no surprise that the absence of a superstar has drawn debate, surprised television viewers and disappointed game goers in recent weeks.
Visiting baseball players can skip a night and still be seen on another night of the series. Football players gear up for only 16 games, normally with six days of rest. Golf and tennis stars play in or withdraw from tournaments at their discretion.
In the NBA, a news cycle emerges for LeBron James’ box score line reading, “DNP-rest,” similar to San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich’s use of “DNP-old” for Tim Duncan. Popovich drew a $250,000 league fine when he sent Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili home from a 2012 road trip before a national television game, a move credited with sparking the “rest” trend even though it was November.
More (http://www.latimes.com/sports/nba/la-sp-nba-dnp-20170401-story.html)
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Interesting how it didn't become an issue until that Saturday night game between the Spurs and the Warriors, when both teams rested their stars.
ESPN heavily promoted that game, and were left holding the bag by Pop and Kerr (a coaching disciple of Pop).
Pop's been doing that for years, and the NBA has looked the other way. Thanks to the huge TV contracts that were recently signed, Adam Silver is "concerned." I'd love to be a fly on the wall when those calls came in from outraged brass at ESPN and TBS, who overbid for NBA rights.
It's laughable, nobody gives a damn about the fans, who are being played for suckers.
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Popovich was the first coach to do it on a regular basis more than a decade ago. He has won five titles and is regarded as the best coach in the game. A number of people think he's the best coach in league history. So obviously everybody took a cue and started resting their players.
I remember reading Jerry West's (ghostwritten) autobio of many decades ago. He said during the '69 season he was so exhausted down the stretch he took a week off. When he came back, he said he was refreshed and able to play well in the playoffs. Well, play well enough because the Lakers still lost the title in seven games.
How can you penalize a coach for resting players when the playoffs are all that really counts? If a certain team's players lose in the playoffs because the players were too tired, then the coach gets blamed for playing them too much.
Back to back games are when many coaches rest stars. Maybe the NBA should expand the season to avoid the back to backs as much as possible.
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I guess all players shall play 60 minutes in each game, no bench for any team allowed!
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If you want to see good basketball, see it at the start of the season. Not during this time of year.
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Pop reminds me of someone else that only cares about the WIN, ethics, morals (king of flopville) be damned, one of the dirtiest coaches in the League.
I'm hoping my Rockets knock them out in the second round, I know it's a long shot, they'll (Spurts) have home court advantage but it's been done before-recently.
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I guess all players shall play 60 minutes in each game, no bench for any team allowed!
NBA games are 48 minutes in regulation. Hockey games are 60 minutes.
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Pop reminds me of someone else that only cares about the WIN, ethics, morals (king of flopville) be damned, one of the dirtiest coaches in the League.
I'm hoping my Rockets knock them out in the second round, I know it's a long shot, they'll (Spurts) have home court advantage but it's been done before-recently.
So I take it you don't like the Spurs? :huh?:
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suck the fpurs.