Injuries tell the tale of the NBA season early on
By Ryan Donoho
Derrick Rose hobbled out of the Moda Center (Rose Garden) on crutches on Friday night, and the world held their collective breath. On Monday, our worst fears were realized:
Earlier this morning, Derrick Rose underwent successful surgery to repair his previously torn medial meniscus in his right knee... (cont.)
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 25, 2013
(cont.) ... The surgery was performed at Rush University Medical Center and Rose is out for the remainder of the season.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 25, 2013
So after missing 18 months, Rose would play just 11 games until he was out for another season. That means we will only see 11 games in over 2 years from Rose.
He wasn’t alone though, as Marc Gasol, Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, Brook Lopez, James Harden, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, Tyson Chandler, and Eric Bledsoe have all missed time with injuries this season. Oh yeah, and that Kobe Bryant guy still hasn’t played since tearing his Achilles in April. With so many stars missing time, the NBA has been longing for health, for a myriad of reasons.
The national television schedule is set before the season begins, so when stars get injured, the games are still played on national TV without them. The NBA is also experiencing a lot of bad basketball this season, and they need these stars back to cure the watered down product. The East has only 3 teams over .500, and the West is filled with .500 teams through the standings.
So is there a reason for all the injuries? Every injury is different, so no. Rose plays an aggressive style, so knee injuries are more likely to happen to him than someone like a Marc Gasol. Andre Iguodala is always making the hustle plays, so that could wear on his body. Steve Nash has had nerve damage from his freak accident last year, and his age isn’t helping. Ultimately, the NBA is experiencing a lot of issues from all angles.
Some of these guys will be out for most of the season, and some will return within days, but the feelings are similar. The NBA totes out a long schedule, and playing 82 games is actually an oddity in recent times. Though we are just over 10 games in, injuries are rearing their ugly head in the NBA this season. Here’s hoping that the players have better fortune going forward. The product is not as good without guys like this.