Nuggets star Aaron Gordon, who played through a Grade 2 hamstring strain in Denver’s Game 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday, cited Warriors icon Steph Curry’s Grade 1 hamstring strain in pleading for the NBA to offer players more rest in between playoff games.
“I think everybody could [benefit],” Gordon told reporters postgame on Sunday, before mentioning other derailing injuries to Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard. “You saw it around the league: Steph with a hamstring, JT, Dame.
“There are guys all around the league suffering fatigue-based injuries because the games are just so closely stacked together. It would just be nice for one or two more rest days throughout the postseason, just so we can come back fresh and compete.
“Because a lot of the times, it’s the team that’s most healthy – it’s not even the best team, it’s the team that’s most healthy. When I tried to talk to [Michael Porter Jr.] about it, it’s just, ‘Rest your mind, rest your body, relax. And when it’s time to get back to training, refocus and narrow your focus, and understand what the goal is.’”
The San Jose native said what Dub Nation and several fan bases around the league want to hear, as fatigue-based injuries have clouded recent postseasons, including the current one.
After the Warriors appeared to have the Minnesota Timberwolves on the ropes following a series-opening win, Curry’s four-game absence halted Golden State’s championship aspirations.
Tatum and Lillard’s injuries spoiled what were compelling Celtics-New York Knicks and Bucks-Indiana Pacers series. And Gordon’s injury, of course, made his Nuggets’ failed push for the Western Conference finals that much harder.
Gordon expanded on increasing rest days during the NBA playoffs.
“Health is a lot, you know,” Gordon told reporters. “I would really, really appreciate it if there were a couple of days in between games in the playoffs instead of every other day, regardless of if you go seven games. I understand if you do your work early and get first seed, you can have some time off.
“But I think the days in between games – not just off days and a travel day, [but] a travel day – just two days. I think the product of the game would be a lot better, a better product on the floor. Just to give all these professional athletes just one more day of rest, and you’d see a higher level of basketball. Probably less blowouts.”
The Nuggets lost to the Thunder, 125-93, in Sunday’s Game 7. The younger Oklahoma City entered the series with a week of rest after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, whereas Denver had defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in a seven-game series.
Gordon makes a strong case for the NBA to consider expanding rest days during the playoffs. Curry and the Warriors certainly would be in support of updates to the current format.
