HoopsHype.com Rumors

The Boston Celtics began the playoffs with Ray Allen sidelined by an injury. The Clippers' best players, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, are hurting and won't be at their best for their second-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. Is the lockout-compressed schedule to blame? "I probably shouldn't say this because I'm not a doctor and I don't know, but you'd have to think so," coach Mike Brown said before the Lakers faced the Oklahoma City in Game 1 of their second-round series Monday. "Some of the injuries that have happened to these high-caliber athletes, running down the floor or jumping in their air or getting back in transition defense without getting touched, you know? Rose makes that play a million times a season." Long Beach Press-Telegram

Los Angeles Lakers, Mike Brown, Injuries, Schedule 

NBA commissioner David Stern said Tuesday he would "certainly look at" making a shortened regular season beginning Christmas Day a permanent fixture, while acknowledging the financial limitations of the idea. "We're going to certainly look at it and raise the issue with the owners," Stern said in an interview on "Rome" on CBS Sports Network. "The reason you don't make it a shorter year is because of the infrastructure that's been built. You have all of the buildings that have been selling an 82-game schedule. You have these local TV deals. You have these network TV deals. So, we'd have to negotiate with our players to take 20 percent less every year on the salaries that they're getting. That is a problem." CBSSports.com

David Stern, Schedule 

That doesn’t mean that everyone’s happy with the way this season went down. The compressed schedule raised serious concerns among coaches right from the start, and before the year, former coach Jeff Van Gundy called the 66-game slate a “money grab” by players and owners. Asked whether the schedule has worked out better or worse than he anticipated, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, “Worse. I just think a lot of teams have not been able to work on a lot of stuff, especially, I look at some of our young guys who might have been able to help us in an 82-game season, they’ve had zero practices. On the days that we do practice, it’s not as competitive as it would have been, and I think those guys have been robbed of a year in a lot of ways, the young guys. ... Execution, it has taken all year. I mean, we’re still working on it. It’s been hard that way. I didn’t anticipate it being this difficult.” Sporting News

Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers, Schedule, Jeff Van Gundy 

Though the league says ratings are up and attendance will be about the same as last season, Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver sees no future for a 66-game schedule. "If you cut the season shorter, we cut our revenues significantly as well. Players would make less, so no, and I think it's not optimal to play a condensed season in this fashion," he said Thursday. "I think both we and the players' union recognized that going in, but it was a compromise on both our parts to maximize the amount of salary players would get this season and to have as authentic a season as possible, sufficient number of games for competitive reasons." Houston Chronicle

Schedule, Adam Silver 

Emiliano Carchia: Stern revealed sites of next season's overseas games: Berlin; Istanbul; Barcelona, Spain, Milan in Europe, Shanghai and Beijing in China Twitter

David Stern, Barcelona, Spain, China, Italy, Schedule, Turkey, Milan, Istanbul, Shanghai 

The Heat, considered the league’s most athletic team with three superstars in their prime, resorted to resting guard Dwyane Wade April 8 in a win over the Pistons, claiming he had a sore ankle. But Heat coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged that the 66-games-in-120-something-days schedule has taken a toll on his club, and even the most energetic players concede it has been taxing. “Once you’re in it, that’s all you’re thinking about,’’ said Spoelstra. “We knew it would be a challenge. We didn’t have much time to prepare for it anyway. “Once we found out it would be a season, we had less than two weeks before training camp to prepare. I think this time here we’ve had at home was well-needed.’’ Boston Globe

Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Erik Spoelstra, Schedule 

Wade has dealt with various injuries over the years, but being the senior member of Miami’s Big Three, his long-term health is more fragile. He was also held out of Friday’s game against the Bobcats for a break in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Knicks. “You didn’t know what to expect at the start of the season,’’ said Heat forward LeBron James. “You just wanted to play well and see if you could get as much rest as possible because they told us at the beginning we would have 66 games in 124 days. It was like, oh wow, if you break it down, it was like a game every other day. “So you knew that you had to play well because you don’t have the 82-game luxury, but you also knew you had to stay healthy because the teams that can stay healthy are going to be in a really good position at the end of the season. Boston Globe

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Erik Spoelstra, Schedule 

When the league and union finally came to an agreement on how to settle their revenue differences, it's almost as if they then plotted how to soak every least bit of revenue out of fans. A competition driven schedule? Not this season. A money-driven schedule? "It came down to that," said Heat forward James Jones, secretary-treasurer of the National Basketball Players Association. "You don't get paid unless you play games. And having already missed a good portion of the season, the players felt that it was up to each individual player to be professional and maintain a level of conditioning and health and strength so that we can play as many games as possible." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, James Jones, Schedule 

"I mean 66 games is a lot of games," Jones said. "However, those guys that properly prepared are in better condition and those guys that didn't are struggling a little right now." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, James Jones, Schedule 

For the most part, though, the season has been hell on the limbs, on the elderly vets, on practice time and, most nights, on the eyes. Which is what you'd expect from a condensed 66-game schedule and a microwaved training camp. "Guys are tired," said Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge, and aren't we all by now? The good news is players will eventually adapt to the rapid-fire pace of the games, and the quality of play can only get better. We, at least, didn't get stuck with the alternative, either: no basketball at all. As long as the playoffs bring the typical intensity and some compelling matchups, this start will be forgotten and forgiven. Unfortunately, that's still a few months off. In the meantime, we're left to seriously wonder if the Pistons can break 100. NBA.com

Portland Trail Blazers, LaMarcus Aldridge, Schedule 

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wisecracked when asked how he's managing to put up with this kind of season. "Are you married? How does your wife put up with you? She has to. She has no choice for now. It's the same thing here. You've got no choice. Quit your crying and just deal with it. Just deal with it and shut up. That's the best way," he said. He then spoke for all coaches when he discussed the tricky task of preparing for the weekly flurry of games. "My daily schedule is different," he said. "Our staff meetings and approach and when we do things is different now because of the rapidity of games. The teaching logistics have changed. We're cramming in less than normal. NBA.com

San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, Schedule 

Steve Nash said, "It takes more than a couple of beers and a nap in the afternoon" to recover from the previous night, and so players have adjusted their off-court schedule accordingly. Let's just say the nightclub business isn't booming in most NBA cities. "It's not a fun season," said Keyon Dooling. "You're so fatigued at the end of the night, you just go home." Through Sunday's games, offensive numbers are slightly down from a year ago, including shooting percentage (45.6 to 44.2), 3-point percentage (36 to 34) and points scored per 100 possessions (104 to 100), while turnovers are up (16, from 15.3). You almost can't predict which team will show up on a nightly basis. "It's interesting," said Rivers, explaining the personality of his team. "Every once in a while they'll sprinkle in a great game. Our first game of the year (against the Knicks), shockingly, both teams were on fire. We've probably had only one other game like that. You see it all around the league." NBA.com

Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash, Schedule 

What has five heads, wears short pants and is a danger to your family? If you answered AC/DC, you would have been right, in 1980. But in 2011, the correct answer appears to be the NBA's Christmas Day quintuple-header, five games from noon through midnight that few parents will relish playing in or coaching in or broadcasting. Last year, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy memorably said: "I think the NBA is so important to Christmas that we really need to increase from five games to 10, and we need to start them at midnight on Christmas Eve and play them all through the day so there's not a minute of Christmas Day when there's not an NBA game on TV. Because it's great. The NBA is Christmas ... It's what it's all about." SI.com

Orlando Magic, Stan Van Gundy, Schedule 

Jerry Zgoda: You'll like Ricky: He said he was imputing Wolves sked into his iPad: "I was saying `16, 17, 18.' Three games in a row? What the hell..." Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Schedule 

Phoenix is the only team that will not have a home game this season against Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York or Orlando. "I was disappointed for our fans," Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver said. "When the preliminary schedule came out, I asked the league to reconsider and they didn't. You've got to factor in all the arenas and timelines, and they weren't able to move dates around." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Robert Sarver, Schedule 

Acutely aware of injury risks of 66 games in 124 days, Vitti has studied trends from the 1998-99 season, in which a lockout rendered only 50 regular season games. “What we saw back then is more overuse injuries,” he said. “As you stress your body, it will lay down more muscle, tendon and ligamentous tissue according to the loads you put upon them. It's the same with bone. "The problem arises when you overload the tissue before it's had the chance to adapt to the loads. That's when the tissue will go through a metabolic change.” NBA.com

Injuries, Schedule 

That's exactly what the Lakers do not want, as Vitti and his staff are focused on mitigating that overloading. In a trainer’s words, tendons can become inflamed, resulting in tendinitis; joints can become inflamed, causing arthritis; and bones can become inflamed, causing stress fractures. But, in essence, a shorter camp can mean that players will be trying to make up for lost time, and that can be dangerous. Since there is simply no way to recreate what it takes to play in an NBA game except to actually compete against NBA talent on a daily basis, no amount of individual activity/pick up games/NBA2K12 (OK, not the last one) comes close. “The bottom line is that you can be in good physical condition, you can be in basketball shape, and then there is NBA shape,” said Vitti. “The NBA is made up of the biggest, strongest and quickest in the world, and whatever you do isn't going to mimic it.” NBA.com

Injuries, Schedule 

Another area of concern with a shortened schedule is a lack of time not just for physical recovery but for mental recovery. There’s simply less time to sleep. “Since I believe lack of recovery time is the biggest issue in our league, you couple the travel, time change and sleep pattern disruption to make it very difficult to recovery from the game or practice the day before,” Vitti said. “The margin for error is now lower given the schedule.” NBA.com

Injuries, Schedule 

The NBA has released its complete 2011-12 regular-season schedule and broadcast schedules for ABC, ESPN, TNT, NBA TV, and NBA on ESPN Radio, contingent on the timely ratification of the new collective bargaining agreement. The league’s 66th season will feature each team playing 66 regular-season games beginning Dec. 25. Pre-season games will begin on Dec. 16. (See full schedule here.) Following the season tip-off on Christmas Day, with a five-game slate previously announced, Kia NBA Tip-Off ’11 includes 109 NBA games highlighted by a series of marquee doubleheaders Tuesday, Dec. 27, and Thursday, Dec. 29, on TNT, and Friday, Jan. 6, on ESPN. NBA TV will also present five doubleheaders during the period starting Monday, Dec. 26, through Wednesday, Jan. 4. On TNT, the first doubleheader on Tuesday, Dec. 27, features the Miami Heat playing its home opener against the Boston Celtics (8 p.m. ET). The second game features the Utah Jazz traveling to L.A. to face the Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET). The Big Lead

Schedule 

The NBA released its truncated 66-game schedule Tuesday night, and it will make for a season unlike any other. The shortened campaign will require every team to play games on three straight nights at least once. Teams will play 48 conference games and 18 against the opposite conference. The season will get going with five contests on Christmas Day: Boston at New York, Miami at Dallas, Chicago at the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando at Oklahoma City, and the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State. HoopsWorld

Schedule