The NBA board of governors voted to approve new rules that will penalize teams for resting multiple star players, starting with the 2023-24 season, to curb load management. The New York Knicks won’t be directly affected by the new rules, although the team does, by definition, have a star player.
The new policy won’t allow more than one star player to be unavailable for a team due to rest, which doesn’t include injuries. Teams must make an effort to have star players available for nationally televised games, and if more than one star sits out, the team will be fined. To learn more about the rules, read more here.
Julius Randle is the Knicks’ only star player based on new rest rules
The NBA defined a star player as someone who has made an All-NBA team or been named an All-Star in the past three seasons. Therefore, Julius Randle is the Knicks’ only star player.
Since signing with New York in 2019, Randle has played at least 64 games per season. He played in 77 in 2022-23 and was forced to miss the last five games of the regular season because of an ankle sprain. The same happened again in the playoffs, and he missed Game 1 against the Heat.
Jalen Brunson deserved to be named an All-Star last year, and even if that had happened, the Knicks wouldn’t have to worry too much about the new rest rules because Tom Thibodeau doesn’t believe in load management. Even with a nagging foot injury in the second half of the year, Brunson still played in 68 games.
The new rest rules will primarily affect teams like the Lakers and Clippers, although since LeBron James is older than 34, he’ll have more leeway in missing back-to-back games. Teams with star players with a “prior or unusual injury history” can also seek approval for back-to-back games.
At least for this season, the Knicks shouldn’t be concerned about the new rules.