There was a point last season where LeBron James and David Blatt disagreed on what they should do towards the end of the season. One wanted rest, the other wanted a better seed. Now, Blatt is gone, and Lue is preaching rest over worrying about the seed.
Lue said Monday that he will prioritize resting his players above the race for the Eastern Conference’s top spot going down the stretch.
“We definitely want the No. 1 seed if we can get it, but I think we have to rest our guys also,” Lue said after the team’s shootaround Monday morning. “I think health going into the playoffs is more important than the seeding. If we’re fortunate enough to get the No. 1 seed, it will be great for us. But if not, then we just got to play through it.
“I think all championship teams have to win on the road anyway. So, [the No. 1 seed is] important to us, but also being healthy going into the playoffs is more important.”
This is exactly what the Cavs needed last season, and exactly what they need this season. They have proven that they can win at home and on the road in last year’s playoffs. The one big issue they had to fight against was health. Understandably, not all of the injuries that took place in the postseason were due to lack of rest, but some fresher legs never hurts.
There are only 13 games remaining on the schedule for the Cavs. No records are being chased, and there’s nothing to gain right now by playing their main guys 30+ minutes a game. So, I guess I’ll have to just agree with Tryonn Lue on this decision, and we’ll get to see a bit of a healthier Cavs squad come playoff time.
