Jason Kidd and the Nets should probably start paying into the kitty for when the NBA decides to fine them this season.
Taking a page from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who was penalized by commissioner David Stern last season for resting players like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, Kidd told reporters that Kevin Garnett “probably” will not play in back-to-back sets for the Nets. Kidd’s goal, like Popovich’s, is to keep his veteran star healthy for the long haul and the playoffs.
“When you look at KG, probably no back-to-backs, but those are just topics right now that are being thrown around,” Kidd said, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
The Nets have 20 back-to-back games this season, as Eye on Basketball notes, and the 37-year-old forward/center is unlikely to last the year if his knees and back are forced to strain through every game. The Spurs have aggressively rested Duncan and Ginobili over the past few years, forbidding Duncan from playing in back-to-backs altogether.
While the approach is sound, Kidd’s first big test as a coach might come when he actually has to tell Garnett to take the night off.
