The NBA playoff injuries have made it clear that keeping star players on the court is a top priority. Last September, the league implemented a stricter Player Participation Policy (PPP) and a 65-game minimum for end-of-season award eligibility. Despite these efforts, the 2024 playoffs have seen an alarming number of star players sidelined with injuries, including Zion Williamson, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, and others. This trend has raised questions among NBA executives about the impact of recent changes on player health.
During his extensive end-of-season press conference, Oklahoma City Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti highlighted several significant changes this season: the introduction of the NBA Cup, resulting in a compressed schedule in the season’s second half, and a notable decrease in foul calls post-All-Star break. Presti suggested that the combination of a tightly packed schedule and increased physicality might contribute to the uptick in injuries.
“If these things are not working in concert, I think we just have to keep an eye on it,” Presti told reporters.
The 65-Game Rule and PPP
Presti expressed support for the idea that players should be available as much as possible. However, he noted that while the percentage of games played by star players was high in the first half of the season (84%), it dropped significantly after the All-Star break to 72%, one of the lowest rates in the past decade. By the playoffs, stars were participating in just 85% of games, the second-lowest rate in ten years.
In January, the NBA released a report on load management, concluding that it couldn’t definitively determine whether resting players reduces injuries. However, the league’s stance has been that resting players can enhance performance rather than prevent injuries.
The NBA Cup and Compressed Schedule
The introduction of the NBA Cup led to a more complex and condensed schedule. Teams started the season with 80 games scheduled instead of 82, with additional games added during specific periods. This resulted in a more compressed second half of the season, with more back-to-backs and fewer rest days compared to any non-COVID season since 2015-16. Presti emphasized the need for the NBA’s medical team to have final approval on the schedule to ensure it protects player health and wellness.
Officiating Changes
Another significant change this season was a reduction in fouls called. After the All-Star break, there was a sharp decrease in free throw attempts, with teams averaging 19.8 free throws per game, the lowest in league history. Presti noted that this increase in physicality could be contributing to the rise in injuries.
The Impact on Player Health
Cleveland Cavaliers president Koby Altman echoed Presti’s concerns, noting that the increased intensity of regular-season games, including the NBA Cup and the Play-In Tournament, may be contributing to the high number of Playoff Injuries. Altman stressed the importance of studying how to manage the season’s demands to protect players’ health.
Critics of the PPP and the 65-game rule argue that these policies are based on the flawed assumption that star players were missing games to avoid playing rather than to avoid injury. Players generally want to play, even when it might not be in their best interest, as evidenced by New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby’s recent attempt to play through a hamstring strain in the playoffs.
In summary, the combination of a compressed schedule, increased physicality, and new policies may be contributing to the rise in playoff injuries. NBA executives are calling for a closer examination of these factors to ensure that the league’s efforts to keep star players on the court do not come at the expense of their health.
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