Sam Presti Questions the NBA’s Stance on Injuries
Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti has expressed his disagreement with the way the NBA is addressing the increase in injuries in recent seasons. Presti considers it “almost insulting” to argue that there is no correlation between the number of games, player load, and the frequency of injuries. Presti made these statements to reporters on Monday, before the start of free agency and a week after his team won the seventh game of the NBA Finals, securing the first championship for the city. However, that game was marred by the injury of Tyrese Haliburton, star of the Indiana Pacers, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the first quarter. Haliburton was the third player to suffer a ruptured Achilles tendon in the postseason alone, along with Damian Lillard of Milwaukee and Jayson Tatum of Boston. In total, the NBA recorded seven cases of ruptured Achilles tendons during the season.Presti’s comments seem to be directed at NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who last week stated that he does not believe the season is too long and that it is not clear if the number of games influences injuries. Presti mentioned the NBA’s 65-game rule to qualify for certain awards, the compressed schedule due to the in-season tournament, and the league’s recent allowance of increased aggressiveness as possible factors. According to Presti, it’s not that players don’t want to play or are “soft,” but rather to recognize the correlation between workload and injuries. He highlighted that the current game is different from years ago, with more possessions and movement in each play, which is equivalent to “almost two games” compared to a decade ago. Silver indicated that the league has been using artificial intelligence to investigate the causes of Achilles tendon injuries. Presti hopes that the NBA will adopt a less “defensive” approach in the search for solutions to this problem.I think what we need to do is move away from the defensive posture of trying to convince people, players, and teams that there is no connection between loads and injuries. I think we’re bordering on a level of, it’s almost insulting.
Sam Presti
