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Hey NBA, John Wall sees you resting and thinks you've 'gotten a little softer'

ben rohrbach
Senior writer
John Wall plays through the pain. (AP)
John Wall plays through the pain. (AP)

The Golden State Warriors rested stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala for a nationally televised clash against the San Antonio Spurs earlier this month, setting off somewhat of a firestorm over whether sitting healthy players — even on the road for the second night of a back-to-back — was a disservice to fans. Warriors coach Steve Kerr was unfazed by the hullabaloo, joking about how he may take it to another extreme when facing the same situation later this month.

“I’m going to rest all 13 guys that game,” Kerr told reporters on Friday, “so we’re just going to forfeit.”

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One player who doesn’t find the notion of resting players all that funny is Washington Wizards point guard John Wall, whose missed games over the past few years have mostly been due to injury. As a result, he relishes every opportunity to take the floor when healthy. Via CSN Mid-Atlantic’s J. Michael:

Hey @nba, @washwizards point guard @johnwall sees your rest + he’s got a message for you.

A post shared by Ball Don't Lie (@yahooballdontlie) on Mar 18, 2017 at 10:06am PDT

“That’s the difference about our league now. It’s kind of gotten a little softer,” said Wall. “Guys sit out and rest. I understand the coach made a decision, you can’t go against what the coach said or the doctor said.”

After missing two games a week apart in November as part of a plan to ease into the year following offseason surgery on both knees, Wall has played 58 straight games. A sprained left foot in Wednesday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks initially appeared as though it might derail that streak:

But Wall returned to finish with team-highs of 26 points and 11 assists agains the Mavs, and then followed with a career-high 20 assists in a win over the Chicago Bulls two nights later on Friday.

So much for resting.

“I’m not the type of guy who wants to sit down and rest. I think you owe it to the fans,” Wall added to CSN Mid-Atlantic. “They paid money to come see us play. That’s how a professional goes out there and competes. If nothing is hurt, you can play go play.

“I missed games I didn’t want to miss in the past because I was injured. I make up for the time I can make up.”

You’ll recall Wall played through five fractures in his left hand in the 2015 playoffs and even brought a trainer to massage him at the 2016 All-Star Game so he could play through a leg injury. Former Wizards coach Randy Wittman once called him “the toughest” player he’s seen in 30 years around the NBA.

So, this isn’t just lip service from Wall. After a 9-14 start, his Wizards clawed their way up the Eastern Conference standings, and now they’re in a fight for the No. 2 seed, trailing the Boston Celtics by one game in the loss column. So, new coach Scott Brooks has relied heavily on Wall and fellow oft-injured guard Bradley Beal, who’s missed just four games — with hamstring and ankle injuries — this season.

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Whether those Wizards could use the extra rest is another matter. It’s all but proven that the NBA’s 82-game schedule causes fatigue, which in turn creates increased risk of injury. As a result, coaches will rest their stars at critical junctures of the year. The league is well aware of this issue and plans to begin the schedule two weeks earlier next season in order to limit the number of back-to-back games.

Speaking of which, Wall and the Wizards are slated to play a back-to-back in Charlotte on Saturday.

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Ben Rohrbach is a contributor for Ball Don’t Lie and Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!