Does the NBA need to do something to reduce injuries?

[mfw13]

Superstars/stars currently out injured:

Durant
AD
Curry
PG13
Kawhi
Zion
Draymond
Jamal Murray

Superstars/stars who have missed time this year due to injury:

LeBron
Dame
Giannis
Ja
Doncic
Ayton
Booker
Embiid
Brown
Middleton
Holliday
Klay

At what point does the NBA start to realize that playing 82-game seasons plus four 7-game playoff rounds both impacts the integrity of results and seriously degrades the quality of its product?

At this point (as well as at points in the recent past), player health has had much more of an impact on outcomes than team quality.

[oldgoldy97]

[Tallboy]

I think they're already trying to figure out ways to reduce the wear and tear on the players, and would concede privately that the season is too long. The question is how you deal with the threat of lost revenue when you do this.

It's not simply a matter of the owners being greedy here either, because there's a network of contracts from players to media outlets that the NBA is beholden too.

To me, this is a key part of why the NBA is considering stuff like an in-season tournament. If you can find new sources of revenue, you might get more flexibility chopping other stuff out.

[Kobefan]

The 82 games plus playoff wasn't an issue in the past, so maybe change the game ruling back to what it once was and maybe the pacing would slow down as well and hopefully injury would be cut down.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by Tallboy

I think they're already trying to figure out ways to reduce the wear and tear on the players, and would concede privately that the season is too long. The question is how you deal with the threat of lost revenue when you do this.

The obvious answer is proportionate cuts in player contracts.

Whether or not the union would agree to this....who knows....

[k13]

Too many soft players.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by Kobefan

The 82 games plus playoff wasn't an issue in the past, so maybe change the game ruling back to what it once was and maybe the pacing would slow down as well and hopefully injury would be cut down.

I think the fact that it wasn't an issue in the past may have something to do with both player size, as well as how the game was played.

Modern players are generally larger and more muscular, which leads to more muscle injuries and more pressure being put on ankle/knee/hip joints.

Likewise, modern players are more athletic and therefore trying more "risky" moves that results in more wear and tear on their bodies.

Guys like Steph routinely hit the deck 5-10 times a game.....his predecessors like Stockton & Nash may have gone entire months without hitting the deck 5-10 times.

Guys are always going for spectacular dunks instead of layups, and often get sent flying by defenders who don't want to get posterized.

The modern game seems to be a lot more airborne that 20-30 years ago....

[discodanman45]

There were less injuries when the game was more physical. The new NBA is more spread out and more opportunities to go air born. When I was younger the three injuries I saw were broken noses from swinging elbows, jammed fingers, and sprained ankles. The new game is either shoot a three pointer or jump over someone to dunk it. If the NBA got rid of the 3-point line it would be a better game IMO and less injuries.

[oldgoldy97]

Originally Posted by mfw13

I think the fact that it wasn't an issue in the past may have something to do with both player size, as well as how the game was played.

Modern players are generally larger and more muscular, which leads to more muscle injuries and more pressure being put on ankle/knee/hip joints.

Likewise, modern players are more athletic and therefore trying more "risky" moves that results in more wear and tear on their bodies.

Guys like Steph routinely hit the deck 5-10 times a game.....his predecessors like Stockton & Nash may have gone entire months without hitting the deck 5-10 times.

Guys are always going for spectacular dunks instead of layups, and often get sent flying by defenders who don't want to get posterized.

The modern game seems to be a lot more airborne that 20-30 years ago....

Sounds like you’re describing more klutzy players, either falling down all the time or having a klutz fall into someone. Maybe working on balance is the answer.

[GOATcards]

The prevalence of injuries right now does look pretty ridiculous, dunnit...

Sent from my V350C using Tapatalk

[bloodwings19]

Some of the injuries are rest injuries. Popovich is well-known to rest Tim Duncan on back-to back games, he worded DNP-old, for Duncan. When Harden was with Rockets, he never rest. When he joined the Nets with Durant, who will never play a full season again started to take games off. The Warriors superstars will never play a full season under S.Kerr, expect Klay to take a few games off. Today's basketball players, no one will ever be Cal Ripken.

[WalterAZ31]

players are bigger faster stronger than they were even 10-15 years ago, much less the 80s era

pace of play for most part is a lot faster than it was before, players trying to make video game highlights, exerting their bodies in all sorts of ways, making tons of cuts, etc

[drobfan8]

Originally Posted by mfw13

I think the fact that it wasn't an issue in the past may have something to do with both player size, as well as how the game was played.

Modern players are generally larger and more muscular, which leads to more muscle injuries and more pressure being put on ankle/knee/hip joints.

Likewise, modern players are more athletic and therefore trying more "risky" moves that results in more wear and tear on their bodies.

Guys like Steph routinely hit the deck 5-10 times a game.....his predecessors like Stockton & Nash may have gone entire months without hitting the deck 5-10 times.

Guys are always going for spectacular dunks instead of layups, and often get sent flying by defenders who don't want to get posterized.

The modern game seems to be a lot more airborne that 20-30 years ago....

Stockton literally set screens on Barkley and was hit all game. Probably one of the toughest all time.

This is a really poor take.

Hell even Nash took major knocks (a tooth from Malone) a hip check vs Horry and a broken nose.

The players were tougher. To say they didn't get hit compared to Steph is laughable.

[discodanman45]

Originally Posted by WalterAZ31

players are bigger faster stronger than they were even 10-15 years ago, much less the 80s era

pace of play for most part is a lot faster than it was before, players trying to make video game highlights, exerting their bodies in all sorts of ways, making tons of cuts, etc

I would not say stronger. They are taller and more athletic. There are very few players that would want to deal with the power forwards and centers of the 80's and 90's. If you are 7 foot jumping over people and putting huge strains on their ACL/PCL/meniscus.

[jewcer2k5]

Players on teams that are gonna make the playoffs rest because they know what’s more important. Also, with the huge money of contracts, playing longer is more important than it ever was before.

Furthermore, not a doctor, but more muscle = more strain on tendons and ligaments from what I understand. So maybe more injuries but most likely protecting longevity and championship hopes.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by drobfan8

Stockton literally set screens on Barkley and was hit all game. Probably one of the toughest all time.

This is a really poor take.

Hell even Nash took major knocks (a tooth from Malone) a hip check vs Horry and a broken nose.

The players were tougher. To say they didn't get hit compared to Steph is laughable.

That's a different type of physicality....and most of it took place with two feet on the ground. The 80's/90's were a very physical era, but it was guys battling each other on the ground in the post or for rebounds. It wasn't guys routinely flying through the air/Euro-stepping/attempting spectacular dunks/crazy layups.

Today's players are a lot more athletic and put a LOT more stress on their joints & muscles, which is why I think we're seeing so many more injuries.

[Nomad]

I think they should make an "art of falling" rule.

[abidtsteele]

Originally Posted by drobfan8

Stockton literally set screens on Barkley and was hit all game. Probably one of the toughest all time.

This is a really poor take.

Hell even Nash took major knocks (a tooth from Malone) a hip check vs Horry and a broken nose.

The players were tougher. To say they didn't get hit compared to Steph is laughable.

I'm thinking of Tony Parker hitting the deck on basically every drive.

"Steph hits the floor 5 times" is just an awful excuse for more injuries now

[Noles939913]

Originally Posted by mfw13

That's a different type of physicality....and most of it took place with two feet on the ground. The 80's/90's were a very physical era, but it was guys battling each other on the ground in the post or for rebounds. It wasn't guys routinely flying through the air/Euro-stepping/attempting spectacular dunks/crazy layups.

Today's players are a lot more athletic and put a LOT more stress on their joints & muscles, which is why I think we're seeing so many more injuries.

[oldgoldy97]

Originally Posted by Noles939913

That’s why nobody wants to be in the dunk contest. They’re too athletic now.

[Kobefan]

Originally Posted by mfw13

That's a different type of physicality....and most of it took place with two feet on the ground. The 80's/90's were a very physical era, but it was guys battling each other on the ground in the post or for rebounds. It wasn't guys routinely flying through the air/Euro-stepping/attempting spectacular dunks/crazy layups.

Today's players are a lot more athletic and put a LOT more stress on their joints & muscles, which is why I think we're seeing so many more injuries.

If that's the case, let it be. Either tone it done and play at slower pace, or just deal with the increased injuries.

[oldgoldy97]

Too athletic, too big.


Or


Klutzy, can’t fall and a flopping culture?

[Scottish Punk]

I thought with all the new rules of less physicality, more forgiving schedule, and even all the load management would mean less injuries. Maybe there is something to be said about faster pace and more high speed movements. You would need to break down the types of injuries. Fast twitch injury or wear and tear type?

I can't believe players are playing any more minutes than older players.

[sebreg]

There was an espn article maybe 1-2 years ago that prevalence of year round single sport training for kids was much more prevalent now and play in nba had much more explosive movements performed on average than previous generations (can't recall how they got data on that). But these type of things may be playing significant factors. I think they called these young athletes who single sport train year round ticking time bombs in terms of injury.

[ninjacookies]

I think the rise of advanced sports/nutritional sciences may be doing more bad than good. It may be resulting in players overtraining both during the season and offseason, putting additional wear and stress on the body.

I also think it's a function of the evolution of the modern day athlete, becoming bigger/faster/stronger than their predecessors as a whole. Running/cutting faster and jumping higher all puts increased loads on the muscles and joints, and may explain the rise of injuries such as ACL's/MCL's/PCL's.