NBA commissioner Adam Silver wants to find a way to change one major issue he sees in the current NBA.
Silver on Wednesday was critical of what he called “a trend of star players not participating in a full complement of games,” and hinted at the implementation of in-season tournaments or changes to the schedule as a way to combat the problem.
“The Play-In Tournament, I thought, was a beginning of creating renewed incentives for teams to remain competitive and be fighting for playoff position,” Silver said, via Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “It may be through in-season tournaments and changes in format where we can get at it.”
The commissioner admitted that some of the problems had to do with the frequency of injuries, and said the league had been encouraging the sharing of information regarding best practices and rehabilitation to cut down on injury issues.
Silver is right that few star players are coming close to playing in 82 games anymore. Some of that is down to rest, or extra cautiousness when a minor injury pops up. There is only so much Silver can do about that. Even so, the commissioner has long sought to increase interest in the regular season. That is one of the reasons he has so consistently pushed for an in-season tournament, and did so again here.
Photo: Feb 15, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a press conference during NBA All Star Saturday Night at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
