JJ Redick: Teams Are Resting Their Entire Starting Lineups

Redick calls out teams for resting starters

JJ Redick said he’s noticed a trend of teams sitting almost their entire starting five as they look ahead to the playoffs. His comments came after his team’s convincing home win over Phoenix, when he suggested some organizations are making roster choices that send a clear message about their priorities this late in the season.

“I’m sure everyone wants to play against us,” Redick said. “Teams are in a position where they can also look ahead to a potential second-round matchup. We’ve seen some teams resting almost their entire starting lineup. Again, I told the whole team that we need to find the formula and belief in this group.”

Resting stars and what it means for the postseason

Redick was widely understood to be referring to recent examples where top clubs rested key players—names like Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon were absent from a matchup with Oklahoma City. The Thunder also made notable roster changes for that game, leaving out a large number of usual contributors.

Decisions to rest core players late in the season can be strategic: preserving health for the playoffs, managing minutes, or protecting home-court advantages. But those moves can also draw criticism, especially from opponents who feel the integrity of regular-season competition is affected.

To complicate matters further, some teams are dealing with injuries at the worst possible time. The article mentioned that Luka Dončić is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue, and there’s uncertainty about when he’ll be available again—an added wrinkle for any club chasing playoff positioning.

Whether resting starters is smart or controversial likely depends on the team’s depth and playoff goals. For coaches like Redick, it’s another factor to manage while trying to build momentum and belief heading into the postseason.