Injuries will always be a part of professional sports. They are one of the primary risks that athletes take on in return for being compensated rather handsomely for their hard work. Most injuries are unavoidable despite the best efforts of training staffs, medical personal, coaches and the players themselves. It’s virtually impossible to play a sport at the professional level for any length of time without incurring some form of physical malady. No matter how well-conditioned a player is, nor how careful a team is with an athlete, muscles and tendons will pop and tear over the course of the long season.
Professional sports leagues, for the most part, try to look out for the best interests of the players. The overall product suffers, and revenue along with it, when the top names in the game are sitting behind the bench in street clothes instead of dazzling the crowd on the court with their athleticism. But is the NBA doing everything it can to reduce the number of injuries incurred each season? This brings me to the topic for today, with a hat tip to reader JB, whose comments in the wake of the announcement that Mario Chalmers was lost for the season sparked this idea. Thanks JB!
Should the NBA reduce the number of games played during the regular season?
There are currently 19 NBA players officially out for the remainder of the season, with three more potentially done for the campaign. New Orleans, Memphis and Milwaukee have all been hit especially hard this season, which I’m sure isn’t a whole lot of fun for fans of those teams. The 82-game NBA season can be a grind for players, and to be honest, for many fans as well. Some coaches regularly rest players to try and keep them fresh for the playoffs. That is a wise practice, but it can be a bummer for patrons. Imagine waiting all year to go to an NBA game, spending hard-earned money to purchase your ticket in order to see your favorite player in action, only to find out that he’s taking a breather on the bench that game. It’s happened to me, and I can tell you I wasn’t thrilled. Perhaps if the regular season was a tad shorter, coaches would be more hesitant to sit players for rest and recovery purposes. Reducing the number of contests would also limit the number of back-to-back games, which take an enormous toll on the players both physically and mentally.
But what say you out there? Do you think cutting down on the number of regular season matchups would reduce the volume of injuries in the NBA? If so, how many games do you believe is the proper amount? Or are you on the other side of the argument and believe that the same number of players would be injured regardless of the length of the season? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.