RealGMD: The Thread (NBA sports medicine megathread)

[Jeff Van Gully]

i thought it might make sense for the posters who are emerging as self-identified medical professionals to share their clinical insights in an organized way.

(not intended to remove health discussion from basketball discussion. but it might help us identify reputable sources of useful conversation.)

edit: added to the title for clarity

[dakomish23]

I'm not sure there's a bigger indictment on Thibs than needing a dedicated medical thread

[Jalen Bluntson]

I'm not sure there's a bigger indictment on Thibs than needing a dedicated medial thread

I'm no doctor but, there is one on here who has discussed this not too long ago. He agrees that Thibs is a mad man.

Playing a guy 42 minutes and then leaving him in late in a blow out after 37 minutes the very next night led to his injury. That same player said he was exhausted after the first game by the way. He suffers from a common overuse injury and he is playing the most minutes he has played in 7 years. Thibs was his coach last time he played this many minutes.

KAT and Brunson are the two most important pieces to this team. Brunson playing on a calf strain for a couple of weeks after playing on a bum ankle prior to that while also playing crazy minutes doesn't bode well for anyone arguing that it isn't Thibs fault.

The fact that we have limped into the playoffs every year under Thibs may also be a sign that he is hurting the team. The bench getting the least amount of minutes in 20 years might also tell you something is wrong. The fact that Thibs has ALWAYS run his teams like this is another sign there is something wrong.

This isn't the first time this has been a problem for Thibs led teams. Chicago and Minnesota fans have all said the same things many of us are saying. He overplays his starters and doesn't utilize his bench at all. We have seen it over and over the last 5 years. Why there needs to be a medical thread to have this discussion is beyond me. Like dakomish23 said, it's a rather telling indictment of the HC that we even have this thread.

OG hasn't played a full season in his career and he's playing 40+ a night and looks like he's toast the last few weeks. The entire team looks gassed in the 4th qtr too often for it to just be coincidence as well.

We have 3 guys in the top 7 most minutes played and I believe it was 4-5 in the top 10 at one point. Here we are in early January limping around trying to beat scrub teams and losing. We just watched a team that lost 5 of their best starting/rotation players go 10 deep on us and win a game we couldn't keep up in. That team was on a B2B FFS!

Again, I am no doctor but, the evidence has piled up into a mountain. Why is it so difficult to believe there is an issue with Thibs disgusting minutes distribution and lack of use of his bench? No other contender is doing this. I don't know if many other teams in general even do this but, it's been twenty years since a bench has been used this little. Most of the teams that are on the list are Thibs led teams.

We shouldn't need a medical degree to figure out what is staring us dead in the face. Something that has YEARS of evidence pointing to this problem. Thibs doesn't play his bench enough no matter who is on the team and, he overplays his starters way too much for regular season wins. His teams are always injured in the playoffs and he has never won a ring in his three stops. Not even with HOF/All Star stacked rosters that also fell apart under his watch.

Believe what you want but, circumstantial or not, the evidence is there. He doesn't give a fck about his players health. He doesn't give his bench enough time to build any chemistry and, he only plays them after his players get hurt. Then he expects them to start and/or play extended minutes immediately? We end up with games like the last three as a result. Missing key players and losing games we should win.

[Jeff Van Gully]

I'm not sure there's a bigger indictment on Thibs than needing a dedicated medial thread

need is a strong word. i was interested since the pros have been popping up lately. genuinely curious if having their insights in one place could be generally useful.

[Jeff Van Gully]

Again, I am no doctor but

i'm legit inviting them to the podium though.

we have lots of access to your thoughts.

[Capn'O]

It is my medical opinion that Thibs is a maniac.

[Jalen Bluntson]

Again, I am no doctor but

i'm legit inviting them to the podium though.

we have lots of access to your thoughts.

Well, good luck with that. I am sure you won't like the answers you get. You seem to think it takes a medical degree to figure this out. It does not.

[Jeff Van Gully]

Again, I am no doctor but

i'm legit inviting them to the podium though.

we have lots of access to your thoughts.

Well, good luck with that. I am sure you won't like the answers you get. You seem to think it takes a medical degree to figure this out. It does not.

thanks. didn't say any of that. not looking for confirmation of anything. looking for pros who have identified themselves among us. that's it. i can balance expressing my opinion and listening to others. it's actually what i like most about the forum.

[Gravy]

Can we open this up to other teams. I would like to know how the Magic have so many injuries with everyone except Banchero at 33 minutes and under.

[Jeff Van Gully]

Can we open this up to other teams. I would like to know how the Magic have so many injuries with everyone except Banchero at 33 minutes and under.

i didn't have a limitation or scope in mind. could be nice to talk around the NBA. sports medicine evolution is a relevant conversation.

but i also don't have anything here until some come forward, which may not happen.

[Jalen Bluntson]

i'm legit inviting them to the podium though.

we have lots of access to your thoughts.

Well, good luck with that. I am sure you won't like the answers you get. You seem to think it takes a medical degree to figure this out. It does not.

thanks. didn't say any of that. not looking for confirmation of anything. looking for pros who have identified themselves among us. that's it. i can balance expressing my opinion and listening to others. it's actually what i like most about the forum.

Fair enough. I'm just being a cranky old man who is sick of seeing this every year. I know I'm being a bit excessive about it but, I can't help it! Thibs has lost me as a supporter after seeing KAT go down the way he did. It's like PTSD.

I can't remember who the poster is but, there was a doctor on here who was in agreement with the people who don't like what Thibs does. That much I remember. Hopefully he chimes in again.

[Jeff Van Gully]

Well, good luck with that. I am sure you won't like the answers you get. You seem to think it takes a medical degree to figure this out. It does not.

thanks. didn't say any of that. not looking for confirmation of anything. looking for pros who have identified themselves among us. that's it. i can balance expressing my opinion and listening to others. it's actually what i like most about the forum.

Fair enough. I'm just being a cranky old man who is sick of seeing this every year. I know I'm being a bit excessive about it but, I can't help it! Thibs has lost me as a supporter after seeing KAT go down the way he did. It's like PTSD.

I can't remember who the poster is but, there was a doctor on here who was in agreement with the people who don't like what Thibs does. That much I remember. Hopefully he chimes in again.

that would be welcome. actually both the recent pros i had in mind are thibs critics. i'm a moderator for everyone.

[Jalen Bluntson]

thanks. didn't say any of that. not looking for confirmation of anything. looking for pros who have identified themselves among us. that's it. i can balance expressing my opinion and listening to others. it's actually what i like most about the forum.

Fair enough. I'm just being a cranky old man who is sick of seeing this every year. I know I'm being a bit excessive about it but, I can't help it! Thibs has lost me as a supporter after seeing KAT go down the way he did. It's like PTSD.

I can't remember who the poster is but, there was a doctor on here who was in agreement with the people who don't like what Thibs does. That much I remember. Hopefully he chimes in again.

that would be welcome. actually both the recent pros i had in mind are thibs critics. i'm a moderator for everyone.

If you need my expert opinion just let me know.

[Jeff Van Gully]

Fair enough. I'm just being a cranky old man who is sick of seeing this every year. I know I'm being a bit excessive about it but, I can't help it! Thibs has lost me as a supporter after seeing KAT go down the way he did. It's like PTSD.

I can't remember who the poster is but, there was a doctor on here who was in agreement with the people who don't like what Thibs does. That much I remember. Hopefully he chimes in again.

that would be welcome. actually both the recent pros i had in mind are thibs critics. i'm a moderator for everyone.

If you need my expert opinion just let me know.

roger that. will do.

also, to be clear, i share in your concerns about this team. i don't want the team unhealthy. i'm not old enough to have ever seen a knicks chip. i'd like to. i don't agree on every point on the minutes discussion that dominates the conversations, but i also don't universally disagree.

humans are usually more complex and nuanced than any of that.

[NoDopeOnSundays]

Can we open this up to other teams. I would like to know how the Magic have so many injuries with everyone except Banchero at 33 minutes and under.

Their athletic trainers need to be brought up on charges. The injury Paolo and Franz have is rare, somebody had them doing workouts they shouldn't be doing, since they have the same exact injury on the same exact side. Probably something stupid like deadlifting while on a bosu ball.

[Capn'O]

Can we open this up to other teams. I would like to know how the Magic have so many injuries with everyone except Banchero at 33 minutes and under.

Their athletic trainers need to be brought up on charges. The injury Paolo and Franz have is rare, somebody had them doing workouts they shouldn't be doing, since they have the same exact injury on the same exact side. Probably something stupid like deadlifting while on a bosu ball.

Yes.

But, also...

[Jalen Bluntson]

that would be welcome. actually both the recent pros i had in mind are thibs critics. i'm a moderator for everyone.

If you need my expert opinion just let me know.

roger that. will do.

also, to be clear, i share in your concerns about this team. i don't want the team unhealthy. i'm not old enough to have ever seen a knicks chip. i'd like to. i don't agree on every point on the minutes discussion that dominates the conversations, but i also don't universally disagree.

humans are usually more complex and nuanced than any of that.

Both sides have valid points. It's just that there seems to be insurmountable evidence to support one side while the other just plays strawman arguments to deflect. That's where he disconnect is IMO. Players get hurt all of the time. Just seems like Thibs teams fall apart in snowball fashion while he plays them to death. Then he is forced to rely on bench guys he refuses to play for weeks and months. It has happened every year here. Erratic minutes for the bench turn into excessive minutes because the guys he ran through the meat grinder fall apart. It is always a short rotation no matter what the scenario is.

It just seems like more than mere coincidence when it happens over and over.

Hopefully you get some qualified medical opinions in this thread because, I am sure most of us are interested to hear from them.

[Jeff Van Gully]

If you need my expert opinion just let me know.

roger that. will do.

also, to be clear, i share in your concerns about this team. i don't want the team unhealthy. i'm not old enough to have ever seen a knicks chip. i'd like to. i don't agree on every point on the minutes discussion that dominates the conversations, but i also don't universally disagree.

humans are usually more complex and nuanced than any of that.

Both sides have valid points. It's just that there seems to be insurmountable evidence to support one side while the other just plays strawman arguments to deflect. That's where he disconnect is IMO. Players get hurt all of the time. Just seems like Thibs teams fall apart in snowball fashion while he plays them to death. Then he is forced to rely on bench guys he refuses to play for weeks and months. It has happened every year here. Erratic minutes for the bench turn into excessive minutes because the guys he ran through the meat grinder fall apart. It is always a short rotation no matter what the scenario is.

It just seems like more than mere coincidence when it happens over and over.

Hopefully you get some qualified medical opinions in this thread because, I am sure most of us are interested to hear from them.

that part. because i don't have any. i'm just a dude who be talking.

[Jeff Van Gully]

Can we open this up to other teams. I would like to know how the Magic have so many injuries with everyone except Banchero at 33 minutes and under.

Their athletic trainers need to be brought up on charges. The injury Paolo and Franz have is rare, somebody had them doing workouts they shouldn't be doing, since they have the same exact injury on the same exact side. Probably something stupid like deadlifting while on a bosu ball.

you've been kicking that theory around for a while now, nodope. makes sense to me. but how could you be so sure it's not a coincidence?

[NoDopeOnSundays]

Can we open this up to other teams. I would like to know how the Magic have so many injuries with everyone except Banchero at 33 minutes and under.

Their athletic trainers need to be brought up on charges. The injury Paolo and Franz have is rare, somebody had them doing workouts they shouldn't be doing, since they have the same exact injury on the same exact side. Probably something stupid like deadlifting while on a bosu ball.

you've been kicking that theory around for a while now, nodope. makes sense to me. but how could you be so sure it's not a coincidence?

I wouldn't say it's a theory, just that two guys getting a baseball injury on the same side of their body within weeks of each other just screams out bad training. Suggs hurting his back a month later would have me in the training room like Nino Brown if I owned that team.

Watch on YouTube

We'd need to get to the bottom of it and somebody would have to explain to me why players were doing twisting exercises that tore their obliques on the same side.