Nurse says limiting minutes easier said than done

Fred VanVleet vows he'll be smarter with his body and more conscientious of his playing time this season.

VICTORIA – Fred VanVleet vows he’ll be smarter with his body and more conscientious of his playing time this season.

But Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse says it’s easier said than done. It’s a great idea — in theory.

“When you’ve got a super competitive guy who’s playing great, and he wants to play, to rest him … just to say, ‘sorry, it’s your rest time, we don’t care what’s happening on the floor right now, it’s your rest time,’ it’s hard to do,” Nurse said.

The 28-year-old earned NBA all-star honours last season, but logged a back-breaking 37.9 minutes a night. The wear and tear was costly — he missed the Raptors’ final three regular-season games, and Games 5 and 6 of their opening-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers with a strained hip flexor.

The Raptors opened camp on Tuesday at the University of Victoria, and Nurse said it was great to have 20 healthy players — VanVleet among the most essential.

Nurse said trying to manage the point guard’s minute was similar to trying to corral former guard Kyle Lowry. And with VanVleet missing 17 games last regular season, the coaching staff learned a lot about adjusting for his absence.

“The hard part about it, too, is when we all sit down in chairs in an office, it seems easy,” Nurse said. “Well, it’s not the same as when the ball’s up and you’re in a tough game, it’s a one-point game, and you got three minutes to go, and you’re saying, ‘Oh, jeez he’s at 38 minutes, if we don’t take him out, now he’s gonna go to 41. And we’re on the road. And it’s a one-point game in Miami. That’s kind of the real life that’s different than we’re all standing here without the heat of the battle, or sitting in our offices without the heat of the battle.

“But the point’s been brought to my attention,” he added, with a laugh.