Quotes from NBA players and coaches on the idea of shortening the season from the 82-game standard or when more rest days need to be added to the schedule:
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“There will always be talk. But the finances of today’s game if you want to reset it means you probably need to reset the finances. So I don’t think players or NBA staff will respond to that. But who knows. We’ll see.” — Dallas coach Jason Kidd.
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“I’m concerned about the historical implications of how that affects players who played in 82 games and the records may be affected, but that’s not a big issue for me.” – Phoenix coach Monty Williams.
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“If your best player isn’t available, it’s probably to your disadvantage. I think there is a balance somewhere. I’m not opposed to cutting the schedule down, but I’m not sure how much gain you’ll really get from resting the guys even more. I’m sure they’re doing all the studies to find out what works best and what’s best for the league, but I’m fine with an 82-game season.” – Washington coach Wes Unseld Jr.
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“A few more exercises would do us good. A few more days off would be great.” — Houston coach Stephen Silas.
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“If it were up to me, I would like to always play and always be on the ground. It doesn’t matter how many games we have — 82-game season or 72-game season or whatever — because I’m always focused on preparing for the game.
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“I don’t know exactly what the correct number is. I’m sure if it were reduced sometime in five years, we’d be talking, “Well, that number isn’t right either.” So I’m not sure what the correct number is; 82 is definitely a lot, but 72 is a lot too.” — Utah coach Will Hardy.
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“Of course, at the end of the day, the number of games will drive the product of our entertainment. Our fans yearn for it every day. … But I think what can’t be lost is that our game is the best it’s ever been. So you want to be very diligent about protecting the integrity of the game and the game’s product.” — Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins.
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“I think (a shorter season) would certainly help. It’s a long season. … As long as our players stay healthy and the guys are capable of going through a long season, all we really need to do is agree on a number and an agreement on how many games there will be.” — Miami guard Tyler Herro .
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“I don’t know who came up with the term ‘stress management’ for guys who sit out games or this narrative that goes on about star players or guys not being available. I don’t know who started the narration, but it’s running completely amok. I think it’s dehumanized some of us in terms of the way we prepare on a day-to-day basis.” — Dallas guard Kyrie Irving.
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“You just get used to it – get out there every night and eventually it just becomes a pattern and a rhythm, every day that you go out and practice and play. You signed up for it.” — Cleveland guard Evan Mobley.
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“I love tires. I play in the summer. I like the 82-game season. I’m old school.” – Chicago guard DeMar DeRozan.
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