Steve Kerr: Higher pace, frequency of games leading to more injuries

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama are the latest additions who will be sidelined for several weeks as the Bucks superstar recovers from a groin strain, while Spurs big man deals with a calf strain. Giannis Anetokounmpo (Bucks) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) are among the most recent additions to the NBA injury list. The Bucks star is recovering from a groin injury, while the Spurs’ big man has a calf problem. Trae Young and Jonathan Kuminga are both out of the game with knee injuries. Kawhi Leonard, Dorian Finney Smith, and Derrick Jones Jr. have ankle injuries. It is important to note that this list is not an exhaustive one, as almost all teams in the league are dealing with injuries. This is not even counting the injuries that could have ended the season, such as a broken hip for Bradley Beal. Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors said the trend in increasing injuries is concerning. He will have his entire team, including Stephen Curry, out against the Miami Heat Wednesday night. Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and three other players are listed under questionable.[The Warriors’ medical staff] Kerr stated Tuesday night, before Golden State lost 121-113 to the Orlando Magic.

Kerr explained that “everyone in the league understands it’s much easier to score when you beat your opponent down the court and get out during transition.” When everyone is doing this, the pace of the game increases. All players must cover the 25-foot area because they can all shoot 3-pointers. We have all of the data. We have all the data. [than] before. We are doing our best, but there is a game almost every night. It is not easy.”The league’s average pace is at 100.5 mph, which is its highest level since the 1988/89 season. Kerr stated that there is a difference in the pace of the league now compared to the 1980s. Everyone is spreading their offense all the way out to the three-point line. This forces players to cover more distance on defense and move more, rather than remaining stationary during a single possession. Today’s players cover more ground in a game due to the increased off-ball movement.

Kerr stated, “We haven’t practiced a thing on this trip.” “Not one. We have been away from home for at least a week. Not a single practice in eight days. There’s nothing but games, games, and more games. Not only is there no rest time, but there’s also not a single minute of practice. The old system had four hours of practice time. [games] You had to play five games in five nights. That was not ideal, but you would have four days off between each game. You could take a rest day and do some good practice.”Despite the fact that outsiders think that a good way to deal with these injuries is to reduce the number games during the regular season, the league never considered that option. Both the league and players will lose money if games are cut. This means that the league will have less revenue in all areas, including arena revenues, advertising dollars, and television partners. Kerr is aware that if there was money to lose, players and leagues would never agree.Kerr explained that “the tricky part is that all constituents would need to agree to accept less revenue.” “In America in 2025, good luck to any industry. Imagine that a large company says, “You’re right, we don’t care as much about our stock prices.” We’re more interested in employing people, providing them with a stable career and improving our products. That doesn’t happen. You’re aware of that.

Unless the league makes a drastic change to the schedule that would limit the amount of wear and tear on the players’ bodies, we’ll continue to see these injuries pop up more frequently. This means that players will continue to rest in order to “manage injuries” which is the fancy name for load management. Kerr also mentioned that with so many games occurring so often, we will see more teams practice less. This is especially true on the road. The current NBA schedule doesn’t lend itself to how the modern game is played. 

2025-11-19 19:29:56