of NBA I’m tired of it load management, the practice is already widespread within the league, causing franchises to be more conservative than ever when it comes to rest and managing player effort. What started 10 years ago is greg popovich There are too many Spurs games on national TV and on the second night to complain. continueis now a common practice.

adam silver He has never hidden his distaste for the practice, and in recent years has already abandoned the NBA’s policy that science does not fully support these theories. These doubts over the past few months have A more aggressive strategy. After things got out of hand, the league tightened up, instituted stricter rest policies, set minimum number of games for season awards, and declared to the four winds that science was on their side.

“It used to be that the data told us that we had to give players a certain amount of rest, and it was thought that that justified them sitting out,” he said a few weeks ago. Joe DumarsExecutive Vice President of the NBA, load management. “We’ve received more data, but it doesn’t show that it’s giving us a break.sheet player, Correlates with fewer injuries, fatigue etc. What this shows is that a player’s effectiveness probably decreases on his second night of the match. continue”.

The league’s message is clear. Ladies and gentlemen, This is an 82 game league (There may be more now.) And unless someone gets really hurt, the expectation of him is that he plays every game. Players and franchises who truly promote this practice will be under tremendous pressure this season to reverse this trend. However, there are many doubts about the veracity of the data, needless to say, everyone is clear about the real reason behind this ultimatum.

Ghost studio?

The first big question is: Does it really exist? new research Have you heard the NBA’s opinion on this issue, or is this just an interpretation of the data everyone has so far?according to athletic, It’s possible that these data will see the light of day soon, but for now everything is up in the air.

NBA is fuzzy Independently in that regard. The person responsible for scientifically analyzing these data did not attend the press conference and was unable to answer expected questions. Dumars said that although publishing these results would represent a major global novelty for the sporting world and that many scientists and academics on the subject would be interested in analyzing them. He blurted out his own sentences and provided no evidence to support them.

The second question is that you want to know What data sources are used?. Each NBA franchise has its own system that monitors players on the court and evaluates heart rate, movement, fatigue, and more. It happens in real time and there is no obligation to share that data.

They are further under no obligation to share the data they collect outside of the course. Device that analyzes player sleep, for example. The NBA’s research is already so good that the franchise may not choose to keep its own data.

There are also elements that can be drawn out. The longer a player plays, the more games he plays, and the closer the games get, the more fatigue he gets. And the logical conclusion is that as fatigue increases, you become more susceptible to injury. Despite everything, and despite what the league says the results have proven to be less than satisfactory, we must be clear about the following: In the world of science, no one can guarantee that 100%. load management be effectiveNor can it be because there is not enough data and it will take many more years to achieve it.

While you wait for the league report, if it exists, you can find it here: various publications There are numerous medical scientific studies that link fatigue and high loads directly to increased risk of injury. Like the two people who are researching the NBA itself, “NBA Game Load, Fatigue, and Injury Risk”; “Temporal trends and severity of injuries and illnesses in the NBA”.

Acceptance and cynicism among coaches

NBA coaches themselves have received these statements with a mixture of acceptance and cynicism, as a strange amalgamation of opinions that are distinctly different from those from the old school such as Joe Dumars himself. I accept his word and his orders to play 82 games. “It’s always been like this.” And among those who are more open, analysis And they also engage in other practices that they believe will help them improve their performance and extend their careers.

In an article published by athletic We have collected some of these opinions. “It’s just a public relations stunt.”said the anonymous coach. “There are many other studies that prove that. load management “From an injury prevention and recovery management perspective, it makes sense.”

“I think it has to do with how you approach everything,” he declared. JB Bickerstaff. “I don’t want to argue with the NBA, but it’s also true that fatigue can lead to injury. So I think it’s our job to find that. How can we protect our players? But it’s also our responsibility to do what’s best for the league. ”

Others, e.g. Jack Vaughnwe accept the League’s message and will continue to respect the information and advice we receive from the League. staff doctors. “I don’t want any of them fired,” he said. athletic. “I still want them to have jobs and I still want to hear their stories and read their reports.”

The final idea coming from different groups around the league is clear. The reason why the NBA’s request was accepted was because We all know that’s overkill. And we need to pay more attention to the fans, the ones who buy tickets and pay money to watch games, but don’t know if they’ll be able to see the stars in action that day. But that is not done because we trust the “scientific” message conveyed by Joe Dumars. Plus, we all know the real reason this pressing pressure is on right now: negotiating a new TV deal.

NBA concerns about new TV deal

Even Dumars himself couldn’t deny it at a press conference.

“That’s part of the problem.” When asked if the NBA’s commitment to 82 games had anything to do with new television contract negotiations, the NBA’s executive vice president said: “This kind of thing is never just one motive. The reaction of the fans, the players, the TV partners, all of those things are important. No doubt, that’s part of it. It would be dishonest to pretend otherwise. ”

Most people suspect that this is where the real crux of the problem lies.this year Must look good to appear in photos. The NBA is currently negotiating new television deals with two of its current partners. disney and turner, the outlook may not be as good as initially expected.According to him wall street journalneither company intends to renew their contracts at any cost, and both have major problems with the decline of cable television in the United States and boards of directors seeking cuts.

what was it originally Goal of reaching $75 billionIt was three times the previous contract, but it has already fallen to “between 50,000 and 75 billion,” according to . front office sports. The two current partners will most likely continue their relationship with the NBA in a new deal, but they will likely get a package with fewer games. This will open the door to new partners. NBC, Apple, Amazon I’m knocking on the door. The former is interested in broadcasting the NBA again as it was decades ago, and the latter wants to recreate the same things they did with the NBA. NFL, shop on a Thursday or Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the networks responsible for most local broadcasting went bankrupt.

So back to this “Culture of 82 Parties” Motivating your network is also part of the negotiation. The NBA is a league in which star players, both sports and non-sport, carry a lot on their shoulders, perhaps even more than any other sport. That’s because star players are of greater personal importance and play on increasingly smaller courts.

That’s why it’s natural to ask star players to play as many games as possible, but the league risks becoming stuck in the past. Contains 82 games from the 1967-68 season., when there were 12 teams and three playoff rounds. There are currently 30 teams (with plans to expand to 32 teams once a television deal is signed), with mid-season tournaments, play-inand four best-of-seven playoff series.

Please take load management In the extreme, that’s bad for the league and its fans, but continuing 82 games at the current pace of play on top of the physical demands of the regular season could be just as bad. play off.Yoargue that quantity is more valuable than quality It gives a feeling that is the complete opposite of modernization. It seems like the NBA is trying to keep old-school elements just for the money.

Perhaps Joe Dumars will show us those famous new stats once the new TV deal is signed.