If you want a sense of what it was that forced the NBA to alter the way it schedules games, take a close look at a one-week stretch in mid-March. On March 11, the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs — separated in the standings by a mere game-and-a-half — each sat out their best playersduring a nationally televised Saturday game on ABC. A week later, the Cleveland Cavaliers did the exact same thing, sitting LeBron James among others in a marquee, ABC-carried game against the Los Angeles Clippers.ABC is a part of Disney, the same parent company as FiveThirtyEight/ESPN. Asked whether the league contacted the Cavs about the team’s decision to rest its stars during the contest, David Griffin, Cleveland’s general manager at the time, said an NBA official called him almost immediately. “Seven minutes after it was announced. Yeah, they were not happy,” he said. “I feel bad for the league. I really do. But it is what it is from an injury standpoint.” read more https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-nba-is-giving-teams-no-excuses-to-sit-stars-in-big-games/
