With all 30 teams slated to play on Sunday, the regular-season finale is set to be the most action-packed day for the NBA this year. A major letdown here is the fact that most teams will opt to rest their superstars for their last game of the season, particularly if it's a non-bearing game for their squad. This has been the trend in the league for many years now and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr thinks something must be done to address this issue.
According to Kerr, he firmly believes that commissioner Adam Silver and the rest of the league's front office should seriously consider trimming down the regular season. In his mind, the Warriors shot-caller believes that it would beneficial for both the teams and the NBA if the 82-game schedule was reduced to 72 contests per year:
“To me what makes the most sense is cutting back to maybe a 72 game schedule,” Kerr said, via Mark Haynes of ClutchPoints. “Take 10 games off, and get more time to rest in between games. I think you'll get teams to play their guys more often.”
Steve Kerr on stopping teams from resting their stars:
“To me what makes the most sense is cutting back to maybe a 72 game schedule. Take 10 games off, and get more time to rest in between games. I think you'll get teams to play their guys more often.”
— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) April 9, 2022
This recommendation actually makes a lot of sense. It's not as if this is completely revolutionary too, considering how this is the exact number of games each team played during last year's compressed season. That turned out okay, right?
One thing we can say for sure, though, is that this reduced schedule will certainly favor the likes of the Warriors and team superstar Stephen Curry. Now at 34, it's no secret that the greatest shooter of all time is no spring chicken. Fewer games would equate to more rest for Curry, thereby providing his body with more time to recuperate. Logically speaking, this setup should work more towards preventing injuries.
Curry will miss his 11th straight game on Sunday due to a foot issue that has kept him out of the lineup since mid-March. He's also sat out six games throughout the season and for the most part, these were for load management purposes.
The same case is applicable for the likes of Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, who have both dealt with major injuries this season.
What Kerr is also saying here is that if there are fewer games, this should also prevent teams from giving their stars the occasional night off. This will also work in the favor of the NBA in terms of bumping viewership and thereby putting more money into their pockets through revenues from television and live games. On paper, at least, this is looking like a win-win situation for all parties involved.
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