In a meeting at the end of the month, the National Basketball Association Board of Governors is expected to approve a measure restricting the capacity of franchises to: 1) make healthy scratches on the road; 2) rest more than one vital cog able to suit up on any given contest; and 3) sit out stars on nationally broadcast matches. Needless to say, the league’s competition committee made the recommendation in an effort to address stakeholders’ mounting criticism against the practice of sidelining marquee names even though they’re fit to play.
Under the circumstances, it’s fair to argue whether the NBA would have done anything had the issue not been magnified by the absence of top draws in prominent set-tos shown on prime time. No doubt, the stink raised by network partners who literally paid billions to showcase the best of the best of the league spurred the Commissioner’s Office to action. Even so, head honcho Adam Silver initially urged owners to police themselves, only to be prodded by a significant faction to take the lead in the matter.
The result is one that hopefully minimizes, if not altogether eradicates, the exercise. To be sure, no one policy can prevent crafty executives from declaring a certain star to be injured enough — say, by an ankle sprain incurred during a scrimmage — to have to sit, with the net effect being the same as a DNP-REST (or, as progressive head coach agree Popovich once reported of top dog Tim Duncan, DNP-OLD). Which is why Silver wisely fixed the schedule as well; in increasing the number of rest days between, and decreasing the flight times to and from, games, he went for the root of the problem.
Time will tell whether the Board’s likely okay of the ruling will bring about its desired outcome. Certainly, the grant to Silver of the power to discipline erring franchises should give them pause. At the same time, the bet is that he will carry a big stick but not wield it unless absolutely necessary. His thinking, and rightly so: It’s best to deter and not to discipline.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
