The Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as favorites, but intriguingly, not for winning the championship. A recent revelation by a prominent betting site has placed the Clippers in the spotlight, hinting at a different kind of favoritism.
While championship aspirations have long eluded this franchise, it seems the Clippers are not to be considered title favorites just yet. Instead, the LA Clippers are in jeopardy of losing stocks over the new PPP rules brought into play by the NBA.
Clippers considered favorite for NBA fine
The NBA recently implemented a new PPP (Player Participation Policy) rule aimed at curbing excessive load management during the season. As a result, speculation has arisen regarding which teams might face fines for violating this rule, and the Los Angeles Clippers are currently the favorites to receive the league’s first fine for resting players, as reported by BetOnline.
The Clippers are the favorites to receive the league's first fine for resting players, per @betonline_ag pic.twitter.com/9PtMco6YvF
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 14, 2023
The league’s new rule stipulates that no more than one star player can be unavailable during a game due to load management. A “star player” is defined as someone who has earned All-Star or All-NBA honors in any of the previous three seasons.
Given the injury history of key Clippers players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, they have frequently been rested in the past. This new regulation was, in part, prompted by actions taken by the Clippers last season, where Leonard, despite seeming healthy, sat out multiple games as part of load management.
As a result, the Clippers are clearly at risk of facing financial penalties unless they adjust their approach to player and load management.
NBA’s “star player” criteria
The NBA Board of Governors has given the green light to a new set of rules aimed at promoting player involvement during the regular season. This policy will be effective at the outset of the upcoming season. The new regulations, detailed in a recent league memo, revolve around what the NBA terms as “star” players and are designed to prevent teams from resting multiple such stars in a single game.
A star player, according to the NBA’s definition, is someone who has earned a place on an All-NBA team or an NBA All-Star team in the past three seasons or in the current season’s All-Star Game.
Of the league’s 30 teams, 26 franchises boast at least one player who meets this criteria. Half of these teams feature a minimum of two such players, while the Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, and Orlando Magic are the sole teams without a star player.
The policy mandates that teams adhere to a series of rules, including ensuring their star players’ availability for nationally televised and in-season tournament games. It also obliges teams to manage their rosters in a manner that prevents more than one star player from being sidelined for the same game and discourages extended “shutdowns” of star players.
This new rule framework supersedes the resting policy initiated since the 2017-18 season. Under this revised policy, teams must present a valid reason for a star player’s absence from a game, with exceptions allowed for injuries, personal reasons, and pre-approved back-to-back restrictions based on a player’s age, career workload, or injury history.
The NBA has established significant fines for teams found in violation of these new regulations, with penalties commencing at $100,000 for first-time offenses and escalating dramatically for repeat infractions, potentially exceeding $1 million.
What are your thoughts on the NBA’s new load management policy? Share with us in the comments.
