NBA non-confrontational injuries increase, load management and long rotation need to be considered

US media Legion Hoops reprinted the remarks of former Jazz superstar John Stockton, saying:

"The league is softer now... Players can rest for 20 days. Load management? Imagine you and your dad saying: I plan to take a few weeks off. Then who will support us? But that's what the players do now."

Although Old S, as a senior, needs to respect, his statement is worth discussing because he looks at the problem completely out of reality and is already "carving a boat and seeking a sword."

Mike Conley once said in an interview with Fox Sports: "I have experienced an era of physical confrontation. We are a team that focuses on physical confrontation. This is our style. It is a completely different challenge. You take the injury, but it is more bumpy because you are physically attacked."

"Now it is: imagine you run as fast as possible every night as possible. There are more ball possessions, and there are more opportunities for non-contact injuries. Players have more calf strains, hamstring strains, etc. (Previously) We didn't have that many such things."

What Conley is talking about is the real reason for "load management":

- load management, because the injuries are more and more complicated than Stockton's.

1. Types of injury/injury

Injury is classified according to whether there is an invasive mouth and the outside world. The skin or mucosa in the injured area is ruptured, the wound is connected to the outside world, and tissue fluid is discharged or blood flows out of the wound. It is called open injury, such as abrasions, stab wounds, etc.; the skin or mucosa in the injured area is intact, and the non-invasive mouth is connected to the outside world. There is bleeding accumulation after the injury, which is called closed injury, such as spraining of joint ligaments and muscle strains.

According to the emergency classification of the onset of the disease, the sudden injury caused by direct or indirect violence is called acute injury, the onset of the disease is acute, the course of the disease is short, and the symptoms are suddenly onset; due to long-term local burden and the accumulation of repeated micro-injuries is called chronic injury, the symptoms are slow, the onset of the disease is slow, and the course of the disease is long.

Motor injuries are often classified according to the different tissue parts of the injured, such as muscle injuries, ligament injuries, bursal injuries, tendon sheath injuries, cartilage injuries, etc.

is classified according to the degree of injury, and is divided into mild, moderate and severe injuries according to the degree of tissue and organ damage after the trauma, as well as the magnitude of its impact on motor ability and systemic function. Those who are unable to exercise for exercise for 24 hours after injury are severe injuries; those who are unable to exercise for more than 24 hours after injury are moderate injuries; those who are unable to exercise for most of the training content are moderate injuries; those who are able to exercise according to the teaching and training plan after injury are minor injuries.

are classified according to the nature of the injury and are divided into strain, sprain, abrasion, contusion, fracture and dislocation. The damage ratio in the basketball textbook is as follows: The damage ratio in the NBA is as follows:

The damage ratio in the NBA is as follows:

Whether it is domestic basketball data or NBA data, it is not difficult to see that there are three main types of injuries:

1. Ankle sprains are the most common injuries. Unstable jumping (such as stepping on other people's feet after grabbing a rebound), excessive ankle volvulus (lateral ligament strain or tear) during rapid change or emergency stop can all cause ankle sprains. Breakthroughs, step-back shooting, and defensive slipping are high-risk moves for ankle sprain.

2. Knee injury is the second most common injury, but the consequences are more serious. The most susceptible areas are the meniscus and the anterior cruciate ligament.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. Emergency stops and changes in direction (such as European steps), knee valgus or excessive rotation when jumping down are high-risk actions for ACL sprains. When surgical reconstruction is used, the recovery period is as long as 9-12 months, and the exercise ability may decrease after returning.

Torsion of the knee joint (such as being hit during a jump shot when turning) can easily cause meniscus damage. Symptoms include joint closure, swelling, and pain in squats.

3. Finger injuries are also common.

Players' fingers are hit by the ball at high speed (especially the fingertips touch the ball) when catching the ball, and collided with other players' fingers when stealing or fighting for rebounds. These situations may cause finger contusion and dislocation.

Other common injuries include:

Achilles tendonitis/tear: caused by long-term jumps (such as "jumping the knee") or sudden force.

Low and back strain: frequent backward jump shots or physical confrontation.

Muscle strain: Quadriceps and hamstrings are prone to strain during acceleration/emergency stop.

2. Reasons for the increase in the frequency of injuries in recent years

In recent years, the frequency of injuries has increased significantly, which is the injury situation in the first thousand games in 2020 (the 2020 season was affected by the new crown, and the number is a bit inflated).

In addition, the number of serious injuries has increased, with seven Achilles tendon ruptures set in the 25 season, exceeding the previous record (4), and the number of no confrontational injuries is increasing.

The increase in injuries is related to the small ball era.

As the concept of small ball spread throughout the league, fast breaks have become an important means, and the team's speed has generally increased. The average Pacer in the alliance was 92.9, 90.9, 93.9 and 98.9 in 1995, 2005, 2015 and 2025, respectively. The average running speed of each team in the league was 4.20 mph in the 2014 season, 4.26 mph in the 2025 season, 16.9 mph in the 2014 season, and 18.3 mph in the 2025 season.

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Subsequently, the frequency of sprinting, changing direction, emergency stop, and continuous jumping increases, resulting in an increase in load on the knees, ankles, etc., which leads to the increase in injuries..

Isaac Mourier, director of sports nutrition and exercise science at Impact Basketball, once said that the old-fashioned game "body confrontation" is very different from the fast-paced game today, which consumes the body through more muscle contractions. From the outside, running seems to be less burden on the body because there is less chance of collisions, scratches and falls. In fact, the impact on the body is the opposite, and the change in distance, speed and direction of running is much more burdened on the body.

Of course, too many injuries are also related to the tightness of the season now.

Especially the introduction of the mid-season and play-offs has made the schedule too dense in specific periods, and 4 days and 3 games are very terrifying. The Lakers have even had the most exaggerated 8 days and 7 games. Considering the Olympics, training camps, etc., the competition density has been further increased.

Players have too long flight distances, are exhausted by boats, lack of sleep, and work intensity, resulting in accumulated injuries. Inadequate recovery of injuries increases the probability of muscle damage and overwork injuries (soft tissue, knee, Achilles tendon) in NBA players.

In addition, relaxing the referee standards is another reason for the increase in NBA injuries.

Since the past two seasons, the NBA has gradually relaxed its standards and enhanced its confrontation. The 25-season playoff confrontation may be the highest in recent seasons.

Relax the standards to increase the confrontation that players suffer, and the combined increase in running distances, are also likely to induce injuries. There are also opinions that the current sneakers are also the reason for the increase in NBA injuries.

Because the trend of sneakers emphasizes lightweight and agility. This is very beneficial for short-term outbreaks (change direction, emergency stop, breakthrough), but means that the soles and shoes have decreased long-term support for the ankles and knees.

Study shows that lightweight shoes often reduce cushioning and stability, increasing the risk of ankle sprain and plantar fasciitis.

For example, low-top sneakers are typical examples, and Halliburton's finals reimbursement has aroused discussions about low-top sneakers among fans.

There is also a view that an overly professional and heavy training system is also a factor that leads to the increase in NBA injuries.

Most basketball players start to practice as teenagers, and they have already been specialized too early and ignore the training of overall sports function. Under the modern basketball system, training pursues refinement and functionalization, and often accurately reaches a certain muscle group or a certain movement (such as only aiming at explosive force, vertical jump, and horizontal movement).

In a highly inclined competitive environment, players have to increase their training intensity, which may lead to the accumulation of minor injuries and hide certain compensation risks.

Superstars such as James, Durant, Curry must also do scientific and good physical management while being professional. This is why they can become evergreens.

However, other players themselves are not durable in physical fitness, and excessive training may be counterproductive; they cannot do scientific physical management, and high-density and specialized training may bury hidden dangers.

3. The necessity of load management and long rotation

In summary, the current increase in NBA injury risk is related to the playing style and competition system, and it is not ruled out that it has a certain relationship with sneakers and training.

To all parties should do more work in order to reduce side effects and reduce the risk of injury:

NBA teams are strengthening health care.

Currently, the team doctors of each team can quantify their physical condition. Players often conduct strength testing to see how their power output changes with the level of fatigue during the season. Hormones and proteins in blood tests can predict muscle damage or inflammation. Teams even use GPS tracking and camera systems to monitor players' physical energy consumption during training. These data can depict the overall performance of athletes’ overall load over the season.

These data are crucial for injury management.

The players' injury recovery and playing situation must be strictly judged by the team doctor.

According to Xiao Hua, in the future, the NBA will also read player physical data through AI to warn players of injuries.

Players and teams need to consider two ideas:

1, load management.

This is something most players are considering, especially superstar Leonard is more controversial. However, depending on his physical condition, load management is understandable.

Stockton accused the current players of being sought out for the sword and could not fit the old formulas back then.

Some things can't be solved by will.

2. Long rotation. This is the general trend and it is also something that all team management and coaching staff should consider. The Thunder and Pacers, who reached the finals in the 25th season, are both known for their long rotations. Xiberton, known for his short rotation, lost his job. During the offseason, teams such as the Nuggets and Rockets have improved the depth of the lineup.