It seems there’s hardly a night in the NBA without a star player suffering an injury. If you’re in the league, you might want to tread carefully.
According to injury-tracking specialist Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes (via RealGM), the number of games missed has risen by 35 percent from this time last year. And we’re not even three weeks into the current NBA season.
Additionally, Stotts noted that the games lost due to injury have increased by 16 percent compared to the 2022-23 season. That’s quite significant.
Recognizing the injured players is easy: Chet Holmgren. Paolo Banchero. Ja Morant. Kevin Durant. Aaron Gordon. Dejounte Murray. Kawhi Leonard (again). Zion Williamson (once more). In fact, Williamson’s Pelicans are struggling to put together a full roster lately. This is merely the beginning of the issues.
“It’s a perplexing issue,” Stotts recently shared with Marc Stein of The Stein Line. “There isn’t a single reason at play. It seems to stem from various factors, including offseason practices and training methods.”
“I also believe the pace-and-space style of play has taken a significant toll on players’ physiques. Now, every player is required to cover more ground, which can be particularly challenging for larger athletes. It makes them more susceptible to injuries.”
Others within the league have argued that players are spending too much time on the court, not just during games but also in practice.
“Players are going through extensive shooting drills and sometimes weightlifting before the games,” a former NBA player told Hoops Wire, his voice growing passionate. “They need to shower before warming up. It’s irrelevant how old you are — this excessive court time is bound to impact your body.”
Each person has their own explanations, but no clear answers exist. What is evident is that NBA players are experiencing a concerning increase in injuries, and we are just at the start of the 2024-25 season.
