NBA stars aren't resting early this season. Why?

Did one of the league's policies change things, or is load management just falling out of vogue due to external pressure?

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

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The Railway; Edouard Manet; 1873

A trend that has stuck out like a sore thumb through two weeks of the NBA regular season is that stars have largely not been taking nights off for rest or load management. It sticks out because as NBA fans and observers we’ve been primed to expect stars to rest on the second night of back-to-backs, or to load management amid longer road trips.

It’s really not happening to this point in the season.

The teams of the 15 players who were named to an All-NBA team last season have played 100 games combined. Those All-NBA players have been available for 94 of them. Here’s the breakdown:

2022-23 All-NBA players who have played every game for their team so far: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Jaylen Brown, Domantas Sabonis, Damian Lillard, Julius Randle, LeBron James.

All-NBA players who have missed one game for apparent rest: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donovan Mitchell, Jimmy Butler.

All-NBA players who have missed more than one game: De’Aaron Fox (injured ankle).

De’Aaron Fox — who rolled his ankle badly in the Kings’ third game — has missed three games while recuperating. The other 14 All-NBA players have all been healthy and missed a combined three games due to rest. That feels like a massive improvement over recent years in which rest and load management were consistent from Day 1 of the regular season.

This is made evident by fans and observers freaking out when stars have been listed as “doubtful” or “questionable” without serious injuries before a game, only for those stars to actually play. I am reminded of the first weekend of the regular season, when there seemed to be a whole news cycle about Embiid potentially sitting for the Sixers’ home opener due to rest … only for Embiid to play (and dominate).

Even beyond the All-NBA rosters, we’re seeing high levels of availability for players who usually take nights off. Most notably, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have played in all six Clippers games. Zion Williamson has played in six of the Pelicans’ seven games. Kevin Durant has played in all seven of the Suns’ games. Anthony Davis has played in all seven of the Lakers’ games. Chris Paul has played every game. Victor Wembanyama, a teenager who many thought the Spurs would be extra cautious with this season, has played in all seven of San Antonio’s games.

Of course, this is what the NBA wants and has been pushing for with various gimmicks and rules changes. And it’s one area where the league office and fan interests align: when the best players sit out when healthy, it devalues the live experience and the at-home viewing experience to some degree. The stars are the draw, and it’s best to have them there as much as possible.

So what’s driving the early adherence to player availability?