Tim Duncan and 1 Player from Each Team Who Should Be Rested Down the Stretch
Now that the All-Star break and the trade deadline are long gone, the NBA turns its attention to the home stretch. It’s now that teams start thinking about the playoffs and what they have to do to turn their NBA dreams into a reality.
For many teams, those realities are dependent upon not just the draw, but on the health of their important players. For many teams, this means finding a way to rest guys. Teams will have reason to rest, even if it’s because they have had a miserable season or because they know fresh legs are good for playoff time.
So here’s a look at every NBA team and who they need to rest down the final stretch.
30. Cleveland Cavaliers: Baron Davis
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It’s true that Baron Davis, the newly acquired guard from the Los Angeles Clippers, is injured, but the Cavs would do their best to rest him and limit his minutes when he does come back.
The truth is that all signs of Baron Davis in Cleveland point to a train wreck. It’s only a matter of time before the Cavs find out that this point guard is easily distracted and woefully out of shape. The key here is to cut off the nightmare before it completely ruins any trade chances.
Sure, there is the thought that they won’t trade him after acquiring him, but if they see that Davis has no interest in being a part of a team going nowhere, they’ll have to. If the Cavs can hide Davis’s disinterest, they might be able to fool another team into picking up his albatross contract.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love
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The Timberwolves will tell you they have a lot to look forward to in the future. They have Michael Beasley, who has seemingly turned his career around. They are hoping that they can convince Ricky Rubio to come play in Minnesota and that he lives up to the hype, even just half the hype at this point would make a world of difference.
Then there is Kevin Love. He’s been the only constant on a rather unwatchable team. So, with Minnesota waiting for all the pieces to come together, they are wasting their time playing Kevin Love as many minutes as they do.
With over 36 minutes a game, they’re better off just reducing his time by even a couple of minutes a game. He’s not old, but big men are always a gamble and Love doesn’t need to work so hard for a team that is well outside of a playoff shot.
28. Washington Wizards: John Wall
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The Wizards have found two extraordinary things this season: someone to take Gilbert Arenas’s contract and the emergence of rookie sensation John Wall. The truth is that Wall has been as good as advertised. While he has a long way to go to be elite, he’s making good things happen and giving Washington reason to hope.
There is, however, no reason to play him so many minutes. Wall is in the top 20 for minutes per game and since he’s already missed a significant part of the season with a foot injury, it begs the question of why play him so much at all?
Wall is the future of Washington and while he needs experience, Washington needs to preserve his legs for the long haul. Let him play a little less and spread out his minutes so that while they may be fewer, they are still meaningful.
27. Sacramento Kings: Demarcus Cousins
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There are few rookies in the NBA that have the kind of talent and promise that Demarcus Cousins has. Still, there are few that have “disaster” printed as clearly across their forehead as Cousins. He’s trouble and if they don’t figure out a way to control him now, they’ll regret it and he’ll end up having been a waste of a draft pick in the next few years.
Cousins has already had problems his rookie season, including a skirmish with teammates. The best thing for the Kings to do, especially if they need star power for a possible relocation in the future, is make Cousins sit.
Sometimes sitting on the bench can do wonders for an athlete. They have him under contract, so he can’t walk. He’ll learn to fly right or suffer the consequences
26. Toronto Raptors: Andrea Bargnani
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The Raptors are actually in much better shape than the Cavaliers are after losing their prize free agent. What LeBron James left with the Cavs was a mess. What Bosh left was a team that has talent, just not enough talent to really compete yet.
So while they are on the mend and they start storing draft picks up in Canada, giving Bargnani a reduction in minutes sounds like a smart idea. It’s not to say they are over working anyone, but through the 53 games he’s played, Bargnani is average 36.0 MPG.
The Raptors have talent, but they are also fragile. They don’t want to risk major injuries to anyone. They aren’t competing for a playoff spot, so there is no need to work anyone more than they absolutely have to.
25. New Jersey Nets: Brook Lopez
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This is an interesting situation. The guy who they should be resting is Deron Williams. No one on the Nets has averaged more minutes this season than D-Will, but having him on the bench now defeats the purpose of giving up your whole team for him.
The other thing is they have no idea if they will have Deron after 2012, so without being cruel, the question is: what are you saving him for?
Brook Lopez isn’t over worked. He only plays 34 minutes a game, but he’s an important piece to keep Deron Williams around. Keeping him healthy is important. Lopez has played in 60 games already this season, so he hasn’t missed time. No one to try and change that.
24. LA Clippers: Blake Griffin
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Let’s hope the Clippers aren’t getting too caught up in Blake mania and can step back and see just what they have and what they need to do to protect it.
Blake Griffin has been sensational to watch, but the Clippers need to see passed the draw he is and look to the long term future. A healthy Blake Griffin will bring that franchise money for years. He already missed his rookie season due to injury and he’s 11th in the league in MPG.
The Clippers need to see that there is no need to run him into the ground in his first full season. A guy with his athletic skills can erode quickly if they push him too hard. No one is saying to make him inactive, but just like John Wall, they can be smarter about how they use him.
23. Detroit Pistons: Rip Hamilton
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So far this season, Rip has seen his minutes been cut, been inactive, been close to a buyout, asked for a trade, vetoed a trade and staged a boycott of practice. Needless to say, it’s been a banner year.
After his stunt where he refused to go to practice, that should have been the last straw. They Pistons need to cut ties with Rip down the home stretch. They need to let him sit. Not just for him, but for the rest of the team.
The Pistons are in disarray and they need to send a clear message that while they aren’t doing well as a team, the players are not in control. They need to make sure they are in control of their organization. They can’t build with the threat of mutiny.
22. Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings
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The Bucks have few bright spots in Milwaukee, but Jennings is one of them. If the Bucks are convinced that he’s the guy to build around, then they need to take his injury seriously. They need to make sure that they preserve him for the future.
Milwaukee has to build from the bottom up, as they are not a top spot for free agents. They already have a really good guard in Jennings. They don’t need to overwork him to fight for an eight spot.
The only other route they can go if they want to get Jennings' minutes up is to give Andrew Bogut a rest. He’s also missed time this season and has had to shoulder the load when Jennings was down. Either way, they need to preserve the pieces in place.
21. Charlotte Bobcats: Stephen Jackson
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Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace made up 100 percent of the quality that the Bobcats had. However, the Bobcats were desperate to shed contract money and pick up draft choices. That means that they had to dump one of these guys on whoever they could.
So Wallace got shipped to Portland, which leaves a 10 year vet already playing big minutes to have to keep the offense going. The natural progression would be for Jackson to play more minutes without the help of Wallace, but the Bobcats need to play him less.
Jackson looks like he is going to be the anchor for this team next year and at 32, they need to worry about the miles on his legs.
20. Golden State Warriors: Monta Ellis
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The Warriors are in the process of trying to decide who the future of their franchise is: Stephen Curry or Monta Ellis. However, if the Warriors don’t start limiting the minutes that Ellis plays, the decision is going to be an easy one and a painful one for Golden State.
No one in the league plays more minutes than Monta and sooner or later, it’s going to catch up with him. If the Warriors are resigned to him being the future, then they need to start resting his legs, especially when they look like a pretty far cry from the playoffs.
Of course, if they are going to try and keep the much cheaper Stephen Curry, then they need to save Monta’s legs so he has increased value. They know it’s hard to trade someone who looks like he’s been run into the ground.
19. Indiana Pacers: Danny Granger
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Just like with Monta Ellis, the Pacers are in a similar situation with Danny Granger. They have to decide if he’s the future or the best piece of trade bait they have. Regardless of what they decided, giving him some rest on the bench will be helpful.
Granger could haul in nice value in the offseason, but NBA teams are no longer looking at age, they are looking at minutes and the more minutes he logs in seasons where it was fruitless to play, the more his value decreases.
18. Houston Rockets: Kevin Martin
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Full Disclosure: The Rockets don’t overplay a soul. It’s the one benefit to not having a star on your team. So, if we are picking a player, then let it be Kevin Martin, who plays some significant minutes for the Rockets. They are going to have to evaluate what they have at season’s end and Martin should be a keeper, so why not just let him cruise?
17. Philadelphia 76ers: Andre Iguodala
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The 76ers were a team that was about to be blown up, but then they decided that they were good enough to compete and so they pulled their big trading chip, Andre Iguodala, off the block.
But the 76ers know they aren’t an elite team and so they should look this offseason to try and trade Iguodala while his contract and his value are high. They have already seen him miss time with an injury this year and if they want him at his highest trade value, they might want to sit him a little bit more and make sure he’s fresh and looking attractive to teams who will still be interested in him.
16. Utah Jazz: Paul Milsap
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The Jazz made a big decision when they gave up on Deron Williams and shipped him to New Jersey for Devin Harris and Derrick Favors. So now they have these two guys and they need to see what they have exactly.
That means less playing time for Paul Milsap. Since Favors and Milsap are at the same position, the Jazz should start seeing if Favors is the real deal. If he is, then they might want to see if there is a market for Milsap. Either way, they can’t do any of that until they reduce Milsap’s minutes to make room for Favors.
15. New York Knicks: Amar'e Stoudemire
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The New York Knicks are lucky they grabbed Carmelo Anthony when the time was right. It’s not because they should have been concerned he didn’t want to play there, but they had to be concerned about how much time Stoudemire was playing.
Mike D’Antoni’s run and gun system puts a lot of stress on the body and for a big man who already had microfracture knee surgery, those minutes can be brutal.
Now that Carmelo is there, they can ease Amar'e back from the 36 MPG he’s been playing. The Knicks need to preserve the man they just gave a max contract to. Letting him cut his minutes back should go a long way in keeping him healthy down the stretch.
14. Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash
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The Suns have toyed with the idea of a new beginning in Phoenix. However, the new beginning must start with the realization that Nash is part of the old guard. That means shipping out the fan favorite while he still has value left.
There has been talk that the Suns would try to ship out Nash during the NBA Draft. However, if they have plans to do that, then they need to know what they have without Nash.
He’s in great shape and nearing the end anyway, so his body isn’t desperate for a rest, but the Suns are best off to limit his minutes and let younger guys play to figure out what kind of value they need to get for Nash.
13. Memphis Grizzlies: Rudy Gay
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Beside Monta Ellis, no one in the NBA is putting in more minutes than Rudy Gay. There is little doubt that he’s his teams most productive and talented player, but just like so many other teams, playing him so much now could have an ill effect down the road.
They need to be gentle as they can with a talent like Gay. The Grizzlies have some very good pieces. Gay’s injury should serve as a reminder that when he comes back, they need to find a way to not put so much on him. Maybe that means keeping Mayo and asking him to do more.
Either way, there has to be a resolution.
12. Portland Trailblazers: LaMarcus Aldridge
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There would be some who think that limiting the minutes of Brandon Roy would be the way to go, but the Blazers have to face facts. Roy is who he is. He’s a man with bad knees and he’s not going to get any better.
But Aldridge is the man they are building their team around and he’s the man they should be limiting the minutes of. He’s playing nearly 40 minutes a game. It’s not smart to take the man you are supposed to build around and run him into the ground. They would be better off reducing his minutes by five minutes a game.
Now that Wallace is there, the scoring load should be distributed. Let Aldridge rest.
11. Denver Nuggets: Raymond Felton
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Felton doesn’t need much explanation. First, he’s already logged a ton of minutes while he was in New York. Now that he has moved to Denver, there is question over what his role is going to be. He doesn’t want to stay there if he won’t start and the Nuggets have made it clear that Lawson is there future.
So now is the right time to find out. They need to rest Felton and see what Lawson has in the tank. Worst case scenario is Lawson isn’t what they want and they can move Felton to the starting role next year. Best case is Lawson is what they thought and they move Felton out over the summer.
10. New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul
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The Hornets are in a big state of limbo with CP3. There are reports that he’s staying and there are others that he’s just waiting to get out of there.
The truth is that the Hornets need to forget about all that for the rest of the season. Sure, he’s the whole team, but if he goes down again (and he still seems to be playing on one leg), then they have no team.
If they want Paul for the long haul, they need to keep him healthy. If they think he’s going to go, then the last thing they need to do is run him ragged before they get max value for him during the summer. This summer is going to be important for that franchise and it’s important they keep him healthy.
9. Atlanta Hawks: Joe Johnson
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No one got paid more than Joe Johnson in last summer’s blockbuster free agent market. However, no one has logged more minutes of that free agent class than Johnson. While Johnson is young, the NBA is no longer defined by age, but by minutes. It’s why Kobe doesn’t seem to have the same steps he once did, despite being only 32.
Johnson is the only guard that runs the risk of being a complete disaster for his team. If he gets injured, the Hawks could find that his money cripples them for years. Reducing his minutes might lose them an extra game or two, but it should help them keep him in the long run and that’s far more important.
8. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kendrick Perkins
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The OKC got Perkins to take the load off of Durant and Wright as far as the minutes they play. He’s supposed to help balance the load out all over the court. However, Perkins missed half the season with a knee injury and so if they are going have him come up big in the playoffs, then he has to be healthy.
Sure, it’s important for him to get acclimated with his team and to learn the system, but the Thunder just want to make sure they keep it in check.
7. Orlando Magic: Gilbert Arenas
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It was hard to pick out a player on the Magic that needed rest. Howard plays the most minutes, but is in such phenomenal shape that he doesn’t seem to tire.
Then there is Gilbert Arenas. He’s had a rash of injuries over his career, and he’s one of the keys to the Magic’s run in the postseason. He’s not being overworked, but making sure he’s well rested for the playoffs is going to be key to the Magic’s success.
6. LA Lakers: Kobe Bryant
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The Lakers can talk about Gasol, Bynum and Artest as being their biggest keys down the stretch, but it’s all irrelevant if Kobe isn’t rested and ready to play 40 plus minutes on the search for a third straight title.
Kobe has already been playing less minutes this year than he has in recent years, so Jackson knows what the rest of the world does: Kobe is the key.
The best thing the Lakers can do is hang tough and rest Kobe. When the playoffs roll around and Kobe is feeling strong, so will the Lakers.
5. Chicago Bulls: Luol Deng
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The Chicago Bulls have an MVP candidate in Derrick Rose, but the unsung hero of the season has been Luol Deng. The oft-injured Bulls' small forward has been remarkably durable and is logging the minutes to prove it.
At nearly 40 minutes a game, the Bulls need to be careful not to overwork Deng. He’s an important part of the team and as the third scoring option on a weak offense, he’ll be extra important during the playoffs.
4. Miami Heat: Lebron James
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The Miami Heat have to be firing on three cylinders once the playoffs start. They need Bosh, Wade and James to be playing at their best if they have any chance of winning. They lose to good teams because good teams usually take one of their options away.
The one man who has carried the most minutes for the Heat has been James. While he thought he might get an easier ride in Miami, he’s learning that it's requiring more work. His 38.3 minutes a game is going to run him down as the Heat move deep into the playoffs.
This is why it’s so important for the Heat to get solid contributions from their bench. It’s not that LeBron has a substitute, but every time a bench guy steps up, LeBron can stay a little while longer on the bench.
3. Dallas Mavericks: Tyson Chandler
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Chandler has done wonders for a Mavericks team that has missed a defensive presence. So now that the Mavericks are better because of it, it’s time to make Chandler rest down the stretch.
He’s never been the most durable player and he’s going into a free agent year too. So, for the Mavs and Chandler, getting rest down the stretch will help.
2. Boston Celtics: Kevin Garnett
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With an aging team, it’s easier to make a list of guys who don’t need a rest, but we’ll settle for this. Kevin Garnett has logged an amazing amount of minutes in his NBA career and so as he gets down to his final years, it would make sense for the Celtics to use him as little as possible.
They missed him during the 2009 playoffs and they could get back to the Finals. They need to make sure he is there and ready for the playoffs. The more they play him, the more they put that at risk.
1. San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan
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The Spurs have reinvented themselves into an offensive team, but they cannot reinvent their age. Tim Duncan isn’t getting any younger and this may be the last chance the Spurs (as they are currently constructed) have at making a title run.
So the key is to preserve a guy who, when playing at his best, is still an excellent power forward. The Spurs need to rest Duncan now or wrap up home court as quick as possible. His freshness will be the key to their championship hopes.
