The end of the NBA season is about a month away, and in the last stretch of games there is plenty of incentive for teams to rest players.
For the lottery-bound franchises with moribund records, more losing only increases the likelihood of a high draft pick and a shot at an elite talent. Playoff-bound franchises often seek a balance of jostling for playoff positioning while resting the superstars for physical postseason play. As most teams fall into one of the above categories, star players and big names often miss games down the stretch.
