well in many ways I think this rule is for the financial protection of the league but I also can understand how fans who paid to see stars play would be upset if the team unnecessarily benches them and therefore makes the games less entertaining. It is a strange rule I agree, but one that I am sort of glad that they have. This means that teams like LA have to reevaluate whether or not it is actually worth having LeBron on the team at 20 million a year just to sell jerseys. Now they actually have to put him on the court as well.