Cavs' three stars to skip Grizzlies' rematch (Dec 14, 2016)
LeBron James will not travel to Memphis for Cleveland's only appearance there this season and he's offering no apologies for it.
Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue left behind James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love for Wednesday's rematch of the home-and-home series against the Grizzlies.
Irving was fighting tired legs in the Cavs' win Saturday, so Lue elected to give him a full week off between games. James and Love will also stay home to rest, severely crippling the roster of the defending champions' lone trip to Memphis.
"My coach wants me to rest, I don't buck my coach. That's what he wants and that's what we're gonna do," James said after the Cavs beat the Grizzlies 103-86 on Tuesday in Cleveland. "I've been in this league 14 years. I shouldn't have to explain me sitting out a game or not playing games.
"I've played in every arena, including Seattle that's no longer here. It's not like it's my first year. I've got 14 years. I've paid my dues and more than a lot of guys in this league. But I'll ride with my coach."
With all three stars sitting, Lue said he would start DeAndre Liggins, Iman Shumpert and James Jones alongside regular starters J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson. Lue could've broken up the rest and sat James or Love for the home game and played one of them on the road, but instead decided to push all in to give the Cavs the best possible chance to win at least one of these two games.
"We're home to play in front of our fans. With two of the Big Three I know we can win that game," Lue said. "It will be hard to go down and travel, and to ask one person to try to carry the team, especially the way our offense runs."
The Grizzlies won't complain about the lack of stars on the other side. They rested All-Star center Marc Gasol, the reigning Western Conference player of the week, for similar reasons during Tuesday's loss, which ended their six-game winning streak. Gasol is expected to play Wednesday.
"This was kind of marked on the calendar for a while," Grizzlies coach David Fizdale said. "We knew this stretch was coming with this back-to-back and we were going to have to make some decisions."
The Grizzlies will likely be without rookie center Deyonta Davis, who injured his left foot Tuesday and did not return. Fizdale said he doesn't believe the injury is serious, but Davis will likely miss some time as a result.
The decisions by both franchises to rest their stars will exacerbate the league-wide debate about how teams are handling back-to-back scenarios. The league is working proactively to eliminate as many as possible, but for now, teams continue to respond the way the Cavs and Grizzlies did this week. Lue said he expects those who are playing to compete.
"This is where guys get a chance to get some extended minutes and see how they really are," he said. "If they can crack the rotation or, if we need them, can they play? For me it's just giving other guys opportunities."
