The Cleveland Cavaliers are just one game in front of the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference standings with 13 games to go, but that won’t change coach Tyronn Lue’s approach to resting players.
Lue said on Monday that the team’s first priority would be resting players for the playoffs, not clinching the number one seed.
“We definitely want the No. 1 seed if we can get it, but I think we have to rest our guys also,” Lue said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I think health going into the playoffs is more important than the seeding. If we’re fortunate enough to get the No. 1 seed, it will be great for us. But if not, then we just got to play through it.
“I think all championship teams have to win on the road anyway. So, [the No. 1 seed is] important to us, but also being healthy going into the playoffs is more important.”
Cleveland didn’t have the number one seed in the 2015 playoffs but still made it to the NBA Finals, sweeping aside the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the conference finals.
Lue is taking the same approach as Steve Kerr is with the Warriors, though the targets they’re shooting for are quite a bit different.
