In a word, yes. With the in-season tournament’s debut in the 2023-24 season, the necessity of players on-court is increasingly evident. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is of the opinion that the fans are not getting the entirety of what is advertised. Especially when it comes to home games. The NBA is an 82-game event and if its star players are not present, at least for its namesake, the entire competition becomes moot.

When it comes down to the wire, the fans are what give any sport the energy. Every sport across the world felt the brunt of it during COVID restrictions. Without any fans to cheer the players on, the entire match felt pointless. Now that everything is back on track, it’s not fair that the fans get cheated after building high expectations. And Silver seems to have realized it sooner than later.

Load management fines for the NBA in-season tournament

The NBA Player Participation Policy (PPP) states that teams must play on national television and in-season tournaments. Violating the rules, without proper cause, can result in heavy fines. The fines are as follows:

1. The first violation will result in a fine of $100,000 for the team.
2. The second violation will cost them $250,000.
3. Successive violations will be one million more than the last fine, meaning the third will be $1.25 million, the fourth will be $2.25 million, and so forth.

Of course, the first step is investigation. The PPP has detailed that if a star player were to miss an in-season tournament game, there would be an automatic investigation from the league office. When we say “star player”, it refers to any NBA player who is an All-Star or has been on an All-NBA team in the last three seasons.

As of now, there are about 49 players who fit that description. They range from LaMelo Ball, Ben Simmons, Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson and more. As you can see, what would traditionally be constituted as “star” characteristics does not hold much power here.

Another important factor to consider for the players and their teams is the back-to-back games.

The guidelines for back-to-backs in the in-season tournament

The new PPP ensures the top players showcase their talents and skills at every opportunity provided. But as Commissioner Silver said, it does not mean inhumane practices. If a player is seriously injured or has a history of falling prey to injuries, the league provides necessary consideration.

Read More: With Fears of Load Management, What Is Adam Silver Doing to Keep Players Interested for In-Season Tournament?

According to the new rules, the injured player’s team has to provide intimation a week before the back-to-back with the supporting documents. Then only will the deciding authority grant permission. Unfortunately, this does not extend to in-season tournaments. Unless you are a player with an immense playoff experience, like Lebron James or CP3. So while the Clippers can sit Kawhi Leonard or Paul George out for a regular back-to-back, it will become void once they enter the in-season tournament.

To sum up, the thorough changes to load management ensure that if a healthy player is available, then he has to be on the court. Playing. On a lighter note, how many players do you think will contribute to the NBA’s finances for the load management violations? Let us know your top picks below!

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