Nobody Loses More with the New Timeout Rule Than LeBron James

In an effort to increase their product's pace of play, thereby making the games more entertaining to watch, the NBA announced today it has reduced the number of timeouts per game by four. Last year, each team was allowed nine timeouts, but they'll only get seven from now on, including two (down from three) in the final two minutes.

This obviously lessens the odds of an exciting game playing out like stop-and-go traffic, and the overall flow through 48 minutes of back-and-forth action will surge. This is fantastic news for people who currently digest an unhealthy amount of NBA basketball (this writer included) and will, in all likelihood, lead to a more engaging event.

But every rule change also has unexpected results. For example, this new rule change will make it harder for certain players who log a lot of minutes to catch their breath. The league will help by cutting down on the unnecessary back-to-back games and stretches that feature four games in five nights. But will that be enough?

Probably not for one player: LeBron James. The 32-year-old just averaged an NBA-high 37.8 minutes per game during the regular season, then tacked on another 744 minutes (more than any other player) in the playoffs.

The Cleveland Cavaliers needed every second, and yet still fell short of their second-straight championship; when James sat during the NBA Finals his team was outscored by 27 points in 28 minutes. For him to dominate as he did, with the responsibility he had, against the unbeatable opponent, was remarkable. He also, at times, looked like a Walking Dead zombie. At times, the most important part of Cavaliers' head coach Ty Lue's job was calling time outs to make sure James got some rest.

A couple fewer breaks in play won't kill Cleveland's chances, but less rest for James certainly doesn't help. Nobody in the league is more valuable to his respective team in games that truly matter, and the sudden decrease in opportunities to rest will hurt.

James isn't the only player who may suffer, of course. Players who're tasked with carrying humongous loads on top-heavy teams now face a slightly steeper incline. San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard is a good example, as are Washington Wizards point guard John Wall, Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, and possibly even Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin. But James is older than all of those players, and has played in more games.

The NBA had this to say about the move: "These changes will help us fulfill our goal of improving game flow and pace of play. Fewer stoppages and less time without action, especially at the end of a game, will further enhance the viewing experience for our fans."

That is correct. The league is right to tweak rules that make games a more pleasurable watch, and teams and players will adjust as they always do. But that doesn't mean fewer time-outs won't have a negative impact on the sport's brightest stars. Time will tell how much it matters.