2021 NBA OFFSEASON THREAD: Media Day...SHENANIGANS

[206to813]

I think Cuttino Mobley looks very distinguished.

Distinguished, okay, but he just turned 46 yesterday, his white hair adds like 20 years to him… the only thing is he’s still hoopin and in great shape, looking like a real life uncle drew or Bill Russell’s younger brother

 

[datznasty]

 

[HIM]

I’m not going to say that is more of an aberration than the season prior but if you look at the league as a whole, last season was not normal and that’s not just the eye or smell test.

Data shows NBA injuries up in condensed season

The average number of players sidelined per game due to injury, non-COVID-19 illness or rest this season was 5.1 (includes both teams), according to ESPN's Kevin Pelton, the highest since he started tracking it in 2009-10.

www.espn.com

Dealing with the coronavirus was the priority for the NBA in 2020-21, but as the end of the season nears, data suggests the league saw a dramatic increase in injuries not related to COVID-19.

Some team health officials said the effects will drive how they manage player health for next season.

The average number of players sidelined per game due to injury, non-COVID-19 illness or rest this season was 5.1 (includes both teams), according to ESPN's Kevin Pelton, the highest since he started tracking it in 2009-10. That does not include games missed by players in the health and safety protocols. The next highest season was 4.8, so 2020-21 was 5% higher.

The increase was even more pronounced when focusing on the league's stars. This season's All-Stars missed 370 of a possible 1,944 games (19%), the highest percentage in a season in NBA history, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. They missed an average of 13.7 regular-season games each this year.

These types of injuries can be tied to fatigue and stress. Fear of an increase in these injuries grew more pronounced when the schedule condensed late in the season as teams made up games postponed due to COVID-19 issues.

There were 2,909 games lost to soft-tissue injuries this regular season, according to certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts, who maintains the most authoritative public injury-tracking database that covers the NBA. It's the second-highest figure Stotts has recorded since he began tracking in 2005-06. The most was 3,038 in the 2017-18 season, which was played in 82 games vs. the 72-game campaign this year.

"It's brutal in the aggregate," added an NBA general manager.

But if we are gonna give this postseason an asterisk, why not do it in every series with significant injuries? Warriors/Cavs pt 1. Lakers/heat. Raptors/Warriors. Warriors/Rockets. What it seems to come down to is people don’t think PHX or MIL should have been in the finals and/or their team lost. PHX and MIL were good all year long. It’s not like we saw two #8 seeds in the finals.

 

[atlsfinest]

But if we are gonna give this postseason an asterisk, why not do it in every series with significant injuries? Warriors/Cavs pt 1. Lakers/heat. Raptors/Warriors. Warriors/Rockets. What it seems to come down to is people don’t think PHX or MIL should have been in the finals and/or their team lost. PHX and MIL were good all year long. It’s not like we saw two #8 seeds in the finals.

You make a good point and this is why I think the asterisk / aberration argument is so pointless. You can basically look at every NBA champion and point to fortuitous breaks that went their way along their title run. A key player on the opposing team was injured or they avoided a bad matchup or sometimes they were league wide things like condensed seasons or lockouts.

 

[storm2006]

But what I’m saying is, to give this season an asterisk or say it deserves one more than the previous is comical. What’s crazier; a 6 month pause in a season followed by a tournament in a neutral site, with no fans, where players can’t visit friends and family. Or a season with injuries? One has never happened and will never happen again. Another can easily happen next year.. People get hurt every year. It was just more people this year.

They are actually predicting another year with significant injuries specifically due to another curtailed off-season. However, this time they won’t be up against a compressed schedule unless there are outbreaks that overload the back-end again.

But if we are gonna give this postseason an asterisk, why not do it in every series with significant injuries? Warriors/Cavs pt 1. Lakers/heat. Raptors/Warriors. Warriors/Rockets. What it seems to come down to is people don’t think PHX or MIL should have been in the finals and/or their team lost.

You make a good point and this is why I think the asterisk / aberration argument is so pointless. You can basically look at every NBA champion and point to fortuitous breaks that went their way along their title run. A key player on the opposing team was injured or they avoided a bad matchup or sometimes they were league wide things like condensed seasons or lockouts.

EYE am not giving the postseason or regular season an asterisk. But if some gave the 2019-2020 season in an asterisk in an attempt to minimize its significance then I would think 2020-2021 would deserve some scrutiny too.

From a historical/bookkeeping standpoint, I believe both seasons deserve an asterisk simply to note that they deviated from the established 82-game regular season standard due to COVID. We all had a similar discussion last year. Adding an asterisk to a season doesn’t mean it’s “less than”. It just establishes that there are extenuating circumstances that make it different. Bubble in 19-20 and 72-games in 20-21. I respect both championships equally because all teams were subject to the same rules.

 

[trynafeelmink]

I’m not eem saying it was an asterisk…although we all know you and MLGA would be saying it if the Clippers had won. EYE remember the Lockout Miami championship getting an asterisk from MLGA because LeBron won it.

But what I’m saying is, to give this season an asterisk or say it deserves one more than the previous is comical. What’s crazier; a 6 month pause in a season followed by a tournament in a neutral site, with no fans, where players can’t visit friends and family. Or a season with injuries? One has never happened and will never happen again. Another can easily happen next year.. People get hurt every year. It was just more people this year.

A season with injuries where the finals participants had a month of rest & went directly into a compressed season of 70+ games. Also each team had different circumstances throughout the season. Some teams had fans others didn't, PHX had full out Melee's going on in the crowd meanwhile L.A was allowed to let in like 5K people or something.

Not to mention there was never a season where that amount of AS caliber players all went down.

 

[lawdog1]

Distinguished, okay, but he just turned 46 yesterday, his white hair adds like 20 years to him… the only thing is he’s still hoopin and in great shape, looking like a real life uncle drew or Bill Russell’s younger brother

You make a very good point because I’m sitting here looking at that picture like, “there’s no way that dude is just a year older than me”

 

[reconic supreme]

@amitt5504

 

[MVP]

I’m not eem saying it was an asterisk…although we all know you and MLGA would be saying it if the Clippers had won. EYE remember the Lockout Miami championship getting an asterisk from MLGA because LeBron won it.

But what I’m saying is, to give this season an asterisk or say it deserves one more than the previous is comical. What’s crazier; a 6 month pause in a season followed by a tournament in a neutral site, with no fans, where players can’t visit friends and family. Or a season with injuries? One has never happened and will never happen again. Another can easily happen next year.. People get hurt every year. It was just more people this year.

Lol the Clippers ever winning anything is nothing more than fantasy. Let's try to live in reality. We'll probably never see the bubble again just like we'll most likely never see 13 all stars hey injuries in one postseason.

If YOU didn't speak on it being a bubble chip or Mickey ring then fine, I wasn't addressing you. But as the adage goes 'a hit dog will holler'. I was speaking to the ALA who still trying to get off bubble jokes.

 

[reconic supreme]

 

[Air Pope]

This pic is different

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Wasn't there a record number of injuries in the playoffs this year?

 

[addict4sneakers]

Giannis broke his leg and had Covid. No asterisk

 

[MajinZuub]

 

[youngthundercat]

fool so sorry

 

[206to813]

Drummond talk giving me a flashback to 2020 when sports and the world in general was shut down, i for real tuned into espn to watch nba players play nba 2K I watched Drummond versus I forget who. Those were some dark times man. Never forget

 

[datznasty]

 

[datznasty]

 

[atlsfinest]

Diana been clapping cheeks. Congrats!

 

[lawdog1]

Diana Taurasi is gay? No way. Didn’t see that coming at all.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Wondering if Ben Gordon sent a gift

Since NT was convinced he was smashing Diana at UConn.

 

[rolaholic]

Did not expect to see the NHL enacting an even more serious vaccine policy than the association

 

[reconic supreme]

Drummond waving off a Giannis 3

 

[storm2006]

Did not expect to see the NHL enacting an even more serious vaccine policy than the association

Found this one interesting



Potentially no strip clubs or Lil Baby concerts for Harden if Myrie and the rest of the squad don’t get the vaccine? Players potentially being cooped up in the telly because 1 guy out of 15 is stubborn? Hands are going to be thrown

 

[pums]

John Wall, Harden willl fight you if you aint vaxxed