An alarming wave of injuries has struck the NBA in the opening week of the season, prompting players, coaches, and executives to search for explanations. Kevin Durant, who missed the entire 2019‑20 season with a torn Achilles, said he wishes he knew the science behind the surge: "I wish I knew, man. I wish I knew the science behind why all of these injuries are happening."
Notable injuries in the first week
Jalen Williams – broken fibula and dislocated ankle, expected to miss the majority, if not all, of the season.
Cason Wallace – torn labrum, expected to miss the majority, if not all, of the season.
Anthony Edwards – arthroscopic knee surgery, expected to miss multiple months.
Jaren Jackson Jr. – torn MCL, expected to miss 6‑8 weeks.
Paolo Banchero – high ankle sprain, expected to miss 4‑6 weeks.
Tyrese Haliburton – hamstring strain, expected to miss at least two weeks.
Jalen Duren – hamstring strain, expected to miss at least two weeks.
Jalen Suggs – knee bone bruise, expected to miss at least two weeks.
Kawhi Leonard – knee swelling, expected to miss multiple weeks.
Preseason injuries include Ben Simmons (torn Achilles, out for the season) and Kon Knueppel (hamstring strain, yet to debut).
Coaches and analysts weigh in
Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka called the situation "unprecedented" this early in the season. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has long argued the 82‑game schedule is too long, while Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle points to the increased pace of play. Udoka and Milwaukee Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins both questioned the impact of a shortened training camp and fewer preseason games: "We only had three and some of our guys didn't play in all three of those, and so you can see some things creep up early," Udoka said.
Former Bucks All‑Star Marques Johnson, now a broadcaster, highlighted changes in playing style: "Back in the day, we didn't do the full‑speed, hard Eurostep, the deceleration stop… Now it's more prevalent in the game, and I think it creates more wear and tear on the lower extremities." He added that players practice those moves year‑round, leading to cumulative stress on muscles, tendons, and joints.
Player‑association perspective
Fred VanVleet, Rockets guard and president of the National Basketball Players Association, said prevention may be impossible: "There's no prevention. You could look across every league in the world, every age group, this is where we are – in the world, not particular to basketball or the NBA." VanVleet emphasized a "real emphasis on player health" and urged the NBA to invest more resources and science, stating the league should be the leading expert on injury mitigation.
The NBA had not responded to inquiries about potential injury‑prevention measures as of Friday afternoon.
