The Cleveland Cavaliers were blown out in their last game against the San Antonio Spurs and they are considering resting star players for the rest of the season. The Cavaliers did not only lose the game, but they also lost the first seed in the East, which they held for almost the entire season. The Boston Celtics are number one right now, and the Cavs have no intention of catching up with them, it seems.
Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue is considering resting every start player for the remainder of the season in order to have them rested and ready for the playoffs.
This, however, might not be such a great idea.
Cavaliers can still be number one
With nine games left in the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers will play five times at home. Their next four games are relatively easy as they will face a playoff team only once, but their schedule gets tougher after, with a game against the Celtics. Considering that the Cavaliers are just half a game behind the Celtics, they have a great chance to retake the first seed and should not give it up so easily.
Head coach Tyronn Lue hinted that he's ready to sacrifice first seed if his players will stay healthy. Coach Lue added how he likes the Cavaliers' chances of winning playoff series if they are healthy, and that has been their biggest problem this season.
With so many injured players, the Cavaliers haven't been able to achieve great results, but the first seed is still within their reach.
Losing first seed could be costly
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a much better team at home this season, with 28-8 record. Their record on the road is just one game above .500 as they have won only 19 games in opposing arenas.
Losing first seed means losing home-court advantage in at least two playoff series, and it is questionable if the Cavaliers can survive in a hostile environment.
The worst thing about resting star players is that the Cavaliers could possibly drop down to the fourth seed. They are only 2.5 games ahead of the Toronto Raptors, who are currently number four in the conference, and with nine games left to play, it is very likely that they won't hold the second seed without their star players. The Cavs are 0-6 without LeBron James this season, so giving him a break, along with other players, will definitely come at a cost.
