Fixing the DNP Epidemic

[lakerz12]

Hi - I think I’m not alone in disliking how players will randomly sit out for what we know are fake reasons.

Why doesn’t the NBA implement a system for rewarding those who play and punishing those who don’t. For example:

Top 50 guys each year who play the most minutes or play some combination of most games/most minutes receive their portion of a $25 million prize pool.

Bottom 50 guys (who played the least) are fined and this money goes toward the other bonus pool possibly.

There has to be some way of rewarding those who play and adding that incentive.

We can’t keep having these fake DNP’s with no punishment.

This way it works well — fine, you want to sit, you’ll be fined at the end of the year and on the official list of least minutes played.

Obviously those with real injuries would be exempt or not punished as harshly.

Good idea? Bad idea? Alternate ideas?

[chilluminati]

I don't think any idea is gonna fly that takes money out of their pockets, even if they're missing the most games. Punishing a guy because he can't get his ankle right for a year seems a bit much.

[SOUL]

They already did stuff to fix DNP issues, if anything some guys are playing hurt to try to get to a certain # of games played to get awards or contract incentives.

It's like people trying to fix "tanking" right now when there are just always going to be bad teams.

[JDR720]

I think it's pretty simple. Just... play the other players more. NBA teams have 14-15 players. Yet only 10 of them are in the regular rotation, and most teams only play 8 or 9.

Half the team are glorified practice squads.

To incentivize more players playing, allow NBA team to have "line-changes" like hockey as long as you're on your end of the court. No timeouts or stoppages needed.

Star hockey players only play maybe 25 minutes per game, and they play the same number of games as the NBA but in a much more physical sport. Yet still don't get hurt as often as NBA players do. Because everyone plays and gets rest... in game.

[SOUL]

But in a much more physical sport. Yet still don't get hurt as often as NBA players do. Because everyone plays and gets rest... in game.

I don't think this is true (well, in the sense that yes, play is more physical, but also less demanding on the body day-to-day than basketball). Hockey careers last way longer for a good reason - their physicality is from either fighting or just being able to check into each other, but basketball players have a lot of fast twitch motions, continuous jumping which messes up knees, can land wrong from any jump-shot and twist an ankle, freak injuries, etc. I'm sure the line stuff helps but only a little.

[JDR720]

But in a much more physical sport. Yet still don't get hurt as often as NBA players do. Because everyone plays and gets rest... in game.

I don't think this is true. Hockey careers last way longer for a good reason - their physicality is from either fighting or just being able to check into each other, but basketball players have a lot of fast twitch motions, continuous jumping which messes up knees, can land wrong from any jump-shot and twist an ankle, freak injuries, etc. I'm sure the line stuff helps but only a little.

Skating is pretty low impact, but being smashed into the boards and running into each other all the time is more physically demanding than playing basketball. You see players huffing for air from just being on the ice a couple minutes at a time, tons of cardio too.

If your stance is more correct, then NBA line changes would help more. You only need to do jump and stuff for 20 minutes instead of 35 and it would also limit the odds freak injuries happen.

[SOUL]

If your stance is more correct, then NBA line changes would help more. You only need to do jump and stuff for 20 minutes instead of 35 and it would also limit the odds freak injuries happen.

Yeah, I think hockey is more physically demanding from the soft impact side of things i.e. exhaustion and cardio related energy exertion, but the risk for injury in the NBA is always higher just from the nature of how it's played and the requirements now. Especially as athletes get quicker and jump higher - the charge rules are especially dangerous right now with someone sliding underneath you as someone is jumping 40 inches in the air.

Line changes can help bigger named players become less injured because they're playing 30 minutes instead of 38 minutes, but it doesn't actually stop injuries because it just means some other guy has a higher percentage to be injured instead. I don't think injuries are happening because of actual minutes played though. Some specific rules would have to be changed and body player types as well.

For instance, you weren't having 7 footers trying to Euro after dribbling the entire court with a higher paced game now, or stunting and recovering from helping inside and then running out to guard the three point line even 20 years ago. That stuff will exacerbate the risk because you're not just an oaf sitting in the paint for 75% of the game and rebounding or finishing dunks, there's a lot of risk factors from things like that.

[Kurtz]

The solution is clear and simple imo and doesn't involve punishment. Most guys sit during back to backs - just eliminate back to backs. You'll be helping everyone. Extend the season by 2 weeks, maybe shorten Summer League and preseason some to compensate.

[lakerz12]

I don't think any idea is gonna fly that takes money out of their pockets, even if they're missing the most games. Punishing a guy because he can't get his ankle right for a year seems a bit much.

You could remove the fining aspect and just reward those who play the most.

Also I said those with real injuries would be exempt to some degree.

[lakerz12]

Seems you guys are focused on the punishment aspect.

What about the reward aspect?

Why shouldn’t there be an iron man award?

We saw how the nba could make some players care about a meaningless in-season tournament by adding a significant monetary reward.

Reward guys for playing games and pay them a bonus.

[NbaAllDay]

I think you might have the idea of it wrong.

How about lesser problematic schedules?

Get rid of back to backs, it's always been a ridiculous notion that you play a professional game 2 nights in a row.

An understanding that the current game, (pace and space) has a high toll on a players body day in day out.

Recognising some are now playing (potentially) hurt based on game requirements each year.


There has always been this constant hammering of players and organizations. Especially when we hear things like "back in my day they played 82 games etc" Yet the reailty is, the game is different, whats required is different.

Yet with all this we keep the exact same system constraints on a changing league because $$.

[ItsDanger]

These players won't play through pain often because they don't want to. And don't even think of comparing them to NHL players in this regard, there is no comparison.

[Mavrelous]

It's a long season and there are a lot of injuries, player can move 2-3 rungs up the ladder and then move back, you need to have bodies.
There were games where team could barely field 8 man rotation including 2-ways, 7-8 of these guys won't play in regular close games.
There is nothing to fix.

[NyKnicks1714]

We can’t keep having these fake DNP’s with no punishment.

Wait, are you saying players are actually playing in games where they get DNP's?

[lethalizer]

Is this thread from 2022 or something?

NBA already fixed this issue and players themselves are even complaining about it.

The reward is also there, once you can get past the 65 game threshold you can get better contracts too, via being eligible for All NBA teams.

I don't think people care that much about "DNP"s as long as said players aren't stars, so what's even the issure here?

[SweaterBae]

I think it's pretty simple. Just... play the other players more. NBA teams have 14-15 players. Yet only 10 of them are in the regular rotation, and most teams only play 8 or 9.

Half the team are glorified practice squads.

To incentivize more players playing, allow NBA team to have "line-changes" like hockey as long as you're on your end of the court. No timeouts or stoppages needed.

Star hockey players only play maybe 25 minutes per game, and they play the same number of games as the NBA but in a much more physical sport. Yet still don't get hurt as often as NBA players do. Because everyone plays and gets rest... in game.

They could use magnets to pull the playes on and off the court!

[nomansland]

It's not an epidemic. This whole "problem" is way overstated by fans and the media.

[AussieBuck]

Def need to punish guys for not playing all 82 games that we say we don't care about before the 2 months of playoffs where we'll then judge the **** out of them regardless of how they play if they don't win.

Maybe we could instead have a sensible amount of games?

[Statlanta]

It's funny to see not only NBA players but media members complain about the new rule. Star Players(since nobody cares about bad players playing 82) have made their bed with this load management. There are many ways players can manage their load in game(by playing less minutes or giving less effort when playing).

The true fix is stop tying voted awards to contracts.

[NbaAllDay]

Def need to punish guys for not playing all 82 games that we say we don't care about before the 2 months of playoffs where we'll then judge the **** out of them regardless of how they play if they don't win.

Maybe we could instead have a sensible amount of games?

Pretty much this.

A lot of fans today will grade a player based on their playoff performance and not much else.

It's ever growing, and the irony is, they are the same people who complain about load management.

"Play games in the regular season that I want to watch but won't really use in any context when talking about you"