Injuries are part of sports, we all know that. However, what we're seeing right now in the NBA is just plain sad. Superstars are going down at a record pace. Giannis, Zion and Jimmy Butler are out. Alex Caruso looks like he's going to be out and Joel Embiid looks like a statue.  

Obviously when stars miss games it affects the level of play and tips the scales in one teams favor. The already banged up New York Knicks now have an easier path to beating the 76ers because of Embiid's lack of mobility. The Pacers have stayed healthy for the most part and depending on how much time Giannis misses could significantly favor the Pacers. Even though I'm a Lakers fan I was truly heartbroken for Zion Williamson the other night when he got injured and had to leave the game. Zion played 70 games this season which are the most of his career and for the first time was playing in a game with significant meaning. When he injured his hamstring with 3 minutes remaining you could see the heartbreak, anger and overall disappointment in his eyes. He lost over 20lbs this season and prepared for a playoff run that could be cut short if they lose to the Kings on Friday.

We live in a world where blame needs to be placed somewhere...Are these freak injuries? Is it the training staff? Are the load management rules forcing players to play through nagging injuries? Or can it be that an 82 game season is just too much?

I think the NBA needs to re-examine the 82 game season. Teams play every other day and in some cases back to back games. They don't get enough time to heal their bodies and get the treatment they need. The travel schedules and flying city to city can't be good for their bodies. Not every player is as fortunate as LeBron James and can spend a million dollars a year on their rehab. 

Personally, I'd rather watch less games that mean nothing and see a great product of basketball in the postseason with all the stars.