When it comes to basketball, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is smarter than everyone on the planet.
Not only is Pop the best head coach in the league today, he’s also one of the few coaches that often looks at and weighs in about the “bigger picture,” rather than just his team.
And, sure enough, he had an opinion about the biggest issue the league is facing right now, regarding teams resting players. This has become a hot topic after the Cavaliers decided to rest LeBron James and Kyrie Irving just hours before a nationally-televised against the Clippers last Saturday.
Popovich, who has been known to rest a few of his starters (namely the older veterans) late in the season, proposed a potential solution to the problem, and it makes a ton of sense. He revealed it to Michael Wright of ESPN.com on Sunday, suggesting that teams should be allowed to rest players at home, rather than on the road.
“If we rested Kawhi (Leonard), if there’s a way we could do it at home, that seems like a logical thing to me,” he said, “a reasonable thing that a coach or GM should think about, rather (than) that one time somebody’s gonna watch him play someplace else, if you can do it. Sometimes the schedule dictates differently. “
That makes a ton of sense, as road fans wouldn’t be deprived of the opportunity to see their favorite players. What happened at Staples Center last weekend was terrible, as the average ticket price for the game was over $300, and fans who hoped to see both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving play saw neither in action.
Fans often plan ahead nowadays and buy tickets months beforehand. Seeing teams rest their stars just hours before a game isn’t a great look no matter how your slice it, but is much worse for road teams, as those fans may only get to see that team once a season.
Popovich’s solution is sensible and seems like it would appease both sides. Hopefully, the league office strongly considers it.
About Matt Birch
Matt manages all editorial operations for The Sports Daily. His work has been featured on MSN, Fox Sports, Yardbarker, SB Nation and Bleacher Report. Matt has also written for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He enjoys eating good food, shooting hoops and making original, compelling stories go viral.
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