“Chances of Injury Should Be Twice as Much”: Nick Nurse and Draymond Green Deliberate Over NBA’s 82-Game Season

The 82-games-a-season model has been a topic of discussion for a long time in the NBA. There have been countless instances where players and coaches have voiced their opinions to get the quota reduced. However, no progress has been made on it yet. During a recent conversation with Draymond Green on The Draymond Green Show, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said he would favor cutting games off the season calendar. The Warriors star said he’d also be on board with the plan.

Green said the old season schedule has been in effect for a long time. However, the game has changed a lot over the years, and it’s way faster and more competitive now, which is why he thinks a change is required. When asked for his opinion on adjustments to the 82-game season, Nurse said, “I think I would be in favor of that. Logistically, monetarily, all that kind of stuff. But I certainly agree with your point.”

Nurse said that the most common argument against reducing the quota goes back to the 90s, as they played 82 games. However, he believes that players used to have enough space to stand around during games. Whereas now, it’s not even a possibility because each player is expected to play at different positions and be defensively sound as well. He said, “If the pace is twice as fast, it means we’re doing twice as much, probably. The chances for injury and all that stuff should be twice as great as well, right?”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Draymond Green Show (@draymondshow)

Green agreed with his take and said that it’s not only about giving more comfort to the players. The four-time NBA Champion believes that giving enough breathing space to the players during a hectic season will result in higher quality games being played where players won’t show signs of fatigue or worry about sustaining injuries. Warriors coach Steve Kerr even had a proposal to replace the 82-game season schedule.

Steve Kerr continues to advocate for reducing the number of games per season

In January 2023, Steve Kerr had to rest all his star players when his team made a trip to Cleveland. Kerr did that to give enough rest to his star players so that they could be prepared for bigger games ahead. However, he didn’t feel right while making that decision because he understood that there were fans in Cleveland who would’ve wanted to see Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green play.

After making that bold decision, he told the Associated Press, “I feel terrible for fans who buy tickets expecting to see someone play and they don’t get to see that person play. It’s a brutal part of the business. It’s why I’m going to continue to advocate for 72-game seasons.” He said that cutting 10 games from the schedule won’t make a dent in the league but would allow athletes to play better when it’s game time.