The New Rash of Serious Injuries

[demencia_total]

As a 20 year plus fan of the NBA and basketball, I'm trying to remember if there was ever these many serious injuries to key players before. I've been trying to research the subject a bit on the internet and found very little, but I do remember reading somewhere a few months back that all this injury prevention techniques that a lot of players now employ in the off season are having an adverse effect once the season starts because a lot of times players who employ them go from training their muscles and joints for passive exercises to full on action and once the season starts it would essentially put their bodies in a state of shock and thus, more susceptible to injury . It was a bit more depth than what I'm describing, but that was the gist of it.

Granted, many players don't even pick up a ball in the summer so that wouldn't really explain everything but it did provide an interesting perspective. Others point to the game being much more athletic and physical nowadays, but a lot of these injuries don't even occur during heavy contact. It seems that a lot of young player's careers are being affected with recurring injuries that are limiting their capabilities and while it has happened before to others (Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway) they seem more prevalent and common in the last decade or so.

Any thoughts? Does the argument hold water or is it just an overreaction and not much has changed from other eras when it comes to injuries?

[MattUM]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

I think players are too athletic and the season is too much of a grind for players to stay healthy.

[AlexBrady]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

Ever since the advent of the shot-clock the NBA game has had great athletes. And the NBA was most physical during the 40s.

Its the shoes. They are so tightly fastened that they immobilize the ankles and the force just shoots up to the knees. You didn't see the knee injuries when guys were wearing the canvas shoes.

[ojandpizza]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1395534175.994577.jpg it's gotta be the shoes

[ojandpizza]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

Ever since the advent of the shot-clock the NBA game has had great athletes. And the NBA was most physical during the 40s.

Its the shoes. They are so tightly fastened that they immobilize the ankles and the force just shoots up to the knees. You didn't see the knee injuries when guys were wearing the canvas shoes.

But didn't everyone tape their ankles? That immobilizes your ankle much worse than tightly fastened shoes?

And yeah the league had always had great athletes, but it still advances as time goes on.. Even if we were to say that players today aren't more athletic than in years past there is still 10 great athletes to every 1 from years past.

But it's pretty obvious players are more athletic now, it's the evolution of all sports, not just basketball.. Same reason we can have 300 pound line men as fast as former running backs.. Just how it goes, though I'm not blaming that on the injuries.

I don't think it can be pinpointed to just one factor, there's probably a large number of reasons that together cause the increase.

[The 24th Letter]

The New Rash of Serious Injuries

We don't know what injuries occurred doing the "canvas shoe" era quite frankly, because they aren't made public....but what we do have evidence of is earlier retirements...guys running around on ligament tears and other injuries that couldn't be repaired invasively to prolong their health in the long run...

[23]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

JJ Hickson just torr his acl

Galaxy Note 2

[ThePowerGranger]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

I think the game is evolved into a faster paced more physical game which is just leading to more wear and tear on the players bodies.


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[23]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

It's definitely not more physical

Galaxy Note 2

[DJ_Solis]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

Wasn't the game faster paced in the 60s and 70s when Wilt and Russell were getting 40+ rebound games?


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[ojandpizza]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

Wasn't the game faster paced in the 60s and 70s when Wilt and Russell were getting 40+ rebound games?


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Not so much faster paced in a sense of running and gunning like you see sometimes now, but faster paced in that shots were taken much earlier in the shot clock, so possessions changed more often and led to more shot attempts and rebound opportunities.

[ojandpizza]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

It's definitely not more physical

Galaxy Note 2

Not compared to 80's-90's but the older school stuff, too me, doesn't look that physical at all.. I can't knowledgeably speak on it because I'm obviously not old enough to have grown up watching it..

But every time I see one of those old classic games guys over play defensively on the perimeter, which allows the slightest crossover or hesitation to beat them off the dribble without and hand checks, bumps, nudges, or anything to try and stop the guy, just hands up at all times.. And in the post I never see hands touching a player, just straight up no arm bars, nothing..

It's almost as if they were trying so hard to play with the correct defensive form and stance that it compromised their ability to play defense.. Go find an old game on YouTube or better NBAtv, or find a Jerry West or Wilt highlight or something.. There's hardly ever any contact, and even when you see a tiny amount of it a foul is called.

Again I can't say for sure because I have a small sample size, but if I had to guess I would say it's a lot like the palming violation situation.. Everyone says players rarely used crossovers and other moves because palming violations were so strict.. My guess is that they avoided contact because foul calls were so strict as well.. You always see straight up "fundamental" dribbling, same goes with defense, arms out "fundamental" defensive stance at all times even if they are getting their *** beat off the dribble every trip up the court or abused in the post.

[DJ_Solis]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

Not so much faster paced in a sense of running and gunning like you see sometimes now, but faster paced in that shots were taken much earlier in the shot clock, so possessions changed more often and led to more shot attempts and rebound opportunities.

Well that's still more of running up and down the court isn't it? Still getting more run in back then. I Agree about the physicality though. I've seen a bunch of Rick Barry clips and seen very little contact and some very light fouls. I also can't say for sure but that's the way it seemed.


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[The 24th Letter]

The New Rash of Serious Injuries

It's not so much about running up and down court. Most of the non contact injuries come from cutting, planting etc.....and there is undoubtedly more of that in today's game than in the past...

[demencia_total]

Re: The New Rash of Serious Injuries

Not to mention that in the 90's, even though the pace was incredibly slow, every team was posting up constantly and the hand checking rules weren't in effect. And if it was a game between perceived rivals you where getting hacked hard every time you drove to the basket.