"It's concerning": Steve Kerr speaks out about the injury plague in the NBA

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr expressed his "great concern" about the increase in soft tissue injuries, which he says are directly related to the increasingly fast pace of the NBA and a compressed 82-game schedule.

In just two days, the Milwaukee Bucks reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a groin strain, while the San Antonio Spurs announced that Victor Wembanyama has a left calf strain and Stephon Castle a hip flexor problem.

In addition to those cases, five other players are sidelined due to calf discomfort: Anthony Davis, Ty Jerome, Dylan Harper, Ja Morant, and Jrue Holiday.

Kerr explained that the Warriors' medical staff shares the same concern. "They believe that wear and tear, speed, pace, and accumulated miles are directly influencing these injuries," the coach pointed out.

ESPN Research data indicates that the league is playing at its highest collective pace since the 1988-89 season. Furthermore, players are covering 34.3 miles per game at an average speed of 4.43 miles per hour, figures that represent both the highest distance and average speed since player tracking was implemented in 2013-14.

Kerr highlighted that the league's offensive dynamics contribute to this widespread wear and tear. "Everyone understands that it's easier to score if you get ahead of your opponent and push the ball quickly on the fast break," he commented. "But when everyone does the same, games become more intense. You have to defend out to 25 feet because practically anyone can shoot from three. The data is there: players are running more and faster than before. We try to manage it as best as possible, but we're basically playing every other day. It's not easy."

For a long time, Kerr has argued that the schedule should be reduced to 72 games—or even fewer—to allow for rest periods and training that, in his opinion, would enhance performance and reduce the risk of injuries throughout the season.

"We haven't had a single practice on this entire road trip," the coach stated. "We've been away for over a week, eight days, and haven't been able to practice. It's game after game. There's no time to recover or work on concepts. Before, there were stretches of four games in five nights, which was also not ideal, but then you had several days off to rest and train."

Challenges for the Warriors

The Warriors are facing their fifth back-to-back of the first month, with games in Orlando on Tuesday and in Miami on Wednesday to conclude a six-game road trip. After that game in Florida, they will have played 17 games in 29 days and traveled to 12 cities, the highest number in the league during this early stretch.

Nevertheless, Kerr doubted that the NBA would seriously consider reducing the schedule, especially due to the economic implications. "The problem is that all parties would have to agree to earn less money," he stated. "In 2025, in the United States, good luck with that in any sector. Imagine a large company saying, 'We're not so concerned about our stock price; we want to provide job security and improve our product.' That's not going to happen. We know it."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Es preocupante": Steve Kerr alza la voz por la plaga de lesiones en la NBA