Steve Kerr: Reducing the season by 10 games would enhance the league
Steve Kerr is once again promoting the idea of a reduced NBA season.
The head coach of the Golden State Warriors stated on Monday that the league would benefit from reducing the number of games on the schedule. He has previously remarked on the challenges posed by an 82-game schedule and the associated travel demands.
“I understand this may not be a widely accepted view within the league office, but I will keep advocating for it because it’s clear we need to reduce the number of games — we should take 10 games off the schedule,” Kerr expressed, following the Warriors’ 129-126 defeat to the Utah Jazz on Monday night with a shorthanded roster. “I believe it would lead to a more competitive and healthier league if we played fewer games.”
Kerr acknowledged the financial ramifications that cutting 10 games would entail, recognizing that this is the primary concern.
“I understand it’s about revenue, and it would require everyone to accept a slight decrease in earnings, which is quite difficult to achieve,” Kerr noted. “However, based on my experience with the league and coaching, and the challenges of maintaining pace and space — I think a shorter schedule would result in a more competitive and healthier league.”
The Warriors were missing Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford, Moses Moody, and Kristaps Porzingis on Monday night. They have lost four of their last five games and are at risk of missing the playoffs. Kerr has consistently voiced concerns about the increased pace of play being a factor in injuries in the current game.
In November, Kerr remarked after an extended travel period for games, “We literally haven’t had a single practice on this road trip. Not one.”
As per ESPN Research, teams are averaging 115.2 points per game, the highest figure since the 1969-70 season. An increase in scoring correlates with the pace of play, which has also reached unprecedented levels this year.
This season, players have collectively covered 37.1 miles per game at an average speed of 4.29 mph, marking the longest average distance and fastest average speed since player tracking commenced in 2013-14.
The Warriors’ loss on Monday also came against a team that was recently penalized for tanking. The Jazz received a $500,000 fine, with the league stating that both the Jazz and the Indiana Pacers — who were fined $100,000 — were undermining the integrity of the league.
Kerr and other advocates for a shorter schedule have contended that tanking is a consequence of the 82-game format, and that reducing the number of games would lessen the chances of injuries and tanking situations.
