2016-17 Running NBA Thread

Depending on the opponent.

 

I've always found it interesting that the resting the stars on back-to-backs issue has never really permeated the NHL, which is just as physical -- if not more -- of a game. I know players end up playing fewer total minutes per night, but the toll has to be similar.

 

But the issue is not just the physicality as much as the pounding taken by the knees, feet and ankle joints from doing that much running and jumping on consecutive nights. There's a different equation at work when you're gliding on skates instead of running and jumping.

 

Good point, but NBA players aren't taking open-ice hits or getting crushed into the boards, either. Though jostling underneath the basket for rebounds/loose balls is fierce.

I'm not arguing against the rest theory for NBA players. It seems like NHL players get their rest on ice, rather than taking games off, late in the year. If you've ever been to a late season game where one team is out of the playoff race, it looks like an exhibition game. Hardly any hitting.

 

How does college baseball handle this?

 

not like college baseball

 

So choose strategically. I think Popovich usually does/did it one at a time, no?

 

But it's not the open-ice hits (nor the jostling underneath in basketball) that causes the types of injuries--specifically to the feet, knees and ankles--sought to be prevented by resting guys on consecutive night games.

For example, consider stress fractures--an injury that is historically FAR more likely to impact basketball than any other team sport--as it's the only sport where large heavy men put that kinda mileage and pounding on their feet and knees. Stress fractures are caused by excessive prolonged running and jumping on hard surfaces without adequate recovery time. And the only way to guard against them is to ensure the impacted bones get adequate healing time between games. It makes perfect sense that hockey would be less concerned about that issue than basketball, as stress fractures are far less likely to happen on skates.

You keep focusing on the physicality in the two sports, but that's really not the primary reason for the rest days. It's more about protecting the legs.

 

As usual hockey is also falling behind in the idea of rest. It would be smart for teams to adopt this strategy

 

Hockey teams lose so many players for so many games due to injuries of all kinds, I understand why they are reluctant to rest "healthy" players.

 

They aren't really that healthy come February and March.

 

Then it should be.