The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a missing star problem on their hands.
Although the season only began one month ago, there have already been several star players sitting out due to injury or other unknown reasons. One prime example of this is the Philadelphia 76ers, who have yet to play a game with all three stars active. At the start of the year, forward Paul George was sidelined with a bone bruise in his left knee and center Joel Embiid was out with what was known as a sore left knee. Once both players were close to or able to make their returns, guard Tyrese Maxey suffered a hamstring injury and will be out for the foreseeable future.
Other teams may not have seen as many key players miss time but have seen lengthier absences from a star. Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren suffered a hip fracture during a game against the Golden State Warriors on November 10 and is expected to miss the next two months. Other injuries that face long timelines include Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon and New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson. Both are expected to miss roughly a month but it could be more depending on their recovery.
With the adoption of a 65-game minimum to be eligible for awards, one would think this would have fixed the star problem the league initially had as they could no longer sit out games during the regular season. However, this rule has created a new problem entirely as the bodies of players are not holding up. This is leading to a greater concern around the league about if there is too much pressure being placed on star players to play when they are not at full strength.
While the intentions of the NBA meant well, it is becoming evident that their methods may have been too harsh. Finding a way to incentivize players to play during the regular season will only lead to a worse product later in the year. Although the league has tried their best to address the missing star problem, they are just as far away from solving it as they were before.
The NBA has a ‘missing stars’ problem with injuries piling up faster than normal – Yahoo Sports
