I 100% agree what you said here and your entire case of playing stars for less minutes vs not playing them is both smart and super solid.Know what else is blatantly throwing a basketball game, to an even more egregious degree?
Never playing your starters at all
"B-bu the perception" we're talking about reality, not perception. Perception would only be relevant if the NBA was actually going to punish the Jazz, which they are not. Because they know they can't. Because they know they wouldn't have a leg to stand on to punish a team for resting its starters in the 4th while letting teams sit their starters wholesale.
However the outrage against us still has some ground left to stand on. Its the fact that we have the best team out of all bottom feeders, and better team than about 10 other teams that currently stand with a better record.
I think the optics of having Lauri, Key and JJJ and simultaneously losing most of your games isnt sitting right with these people. Its the eternal "can you tank with Lauri" raised to 3rd degree.