Over nearly 8 decades of existence, the NBA has certainly changed a lot. Thanks to rule changes, the three-point revolution, and the explosion of offensive potential, we are seeing a league now that looks vastly from it did decades ago.
Former league coach Jeff Van Gundy has witnessed those changes for himself and isn’t exactly proud of how things have been trending over the past few years. As he explained on Twitter, players are somehow playing fewer games than ever before despite having access to new-age medical science and technology.
“90’s NBA teams had just a trainer and a strength coach, they practiced more often and harder and played more back to backs. Teams now have huge medical & “performance” staffs and value rest over practice. Yet injuries and games missed are way up. Something’s not working!”
After a response from one NBA analyst, Van Gundy followed up his original message with additional points.
“Sorry. Not buying it John. Game is definitely faster, but less physical. What has really changed is the value system. If these “performance” and medical staffs are so necessary guys shouldn’t be missing this many games.”
https://twitter.com/realstanvg/status/1615482130427150348
The availability problem has been growing in recent years, as NBA stars seem to gravitate toward missing more and more games during the regular season. While there are many factors to blame for that development, Van Gundy is pointing fingers at the current state of sports training and medicine.
In the comments, Nets star Kevin Durant made sure to voice his agreement.
Stan spittin…
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) January 18, 2023
The game is obviously played differently and at a much faster pace, than before, and the NBA has tried its best to adapt. Either way, it seems a drop in player durability is something we might have to get used to.
Should The NBA Change The Schedule To Decrease The Work Load?
In the conversation on missed playing time, it’s impossible to ignore load management. Thanks to players like Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James, it’s pretty common for players to sit out back-to-backs or just skip a game entirely in the name of preserving health/durability. Injuries are no longer the only excuse to miss a game.
More importantly, however, the frequency of injuries seems disproportionate to the modern state of sports science today. Injuries across the league have devastated teams, and it seems nobody has been able to figure out how to keep players healthy.
As a solution, teams and experts have suggested shortening the NBA season to 72 games and eliminating all back-to-backs, and it’s an idea the NBA has given serious consideration to.
“I’m not looking to shorten the season, but it’s a conversation we should all have,” Silver acknowledged Tuesday. “What’s optimal in terms of number of games on a player’s body? Let’s be realistic about that.”
It remains to be seen if/when the NBA will take such action, but something should be done if the NBA wants to increase the importance and quality of the regular season.
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