It appears that Saturday’s game will likely take place in Las Vegas, featuring the return of Victor Wembaneyama to the court after missing over a dozen games due to a calf strain. The recent increase in calf injuries among players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ty Jerome, and Ben Shepard is notable. Tom Haberstroh has analyzed these injury trends for Yahoo Sports, collaborating with injury expert Jeff Stotts from InStreetClothes.com.
According to Stotts, calf injuries excluding blunt force trauma have surged during the first 20 games of the 2025-26 NBA season, rising from 18 last season to 25 this season—a near 40% increase. More alarmingly, the recovery period has lengthened significantly, with total games missed due to calf injuries tripling from 36 to 108 through 20 games.
About a week ago, John Hollinger from The Athletic raised concerns regarding whether the NBA Cup schedule’s intensity could be causing more soft tissue injuries. Although this issue was lightly discussed by league officials initially, it gained attention after the NBA released a detailed statement refuting Hollinger’s claims, with spokesperson Mike Bass emphasizing that data does not support the idea of a congested schedule or increased injuries due to the NBA Cup. The league pointed out that the number of games played early in the season this year (308 games over 42 days) closely matches last season’s 307, and is consistent with previous cup years.
Hollinger had also suggested that early-season soft tissue injuries were causing difficulties in keeping stars healthy. However, through the first six weeks, the number of injuries sidelining star players is actually the lowest in six years, down by over 25% compared to the previous season. The misconception that the rise in missed games this season stems from early scheduling is misleading, especially since some stars are still recovering from last season’s injuries.
The NBA’s response caused some to question why the league felt the need to issue the statement at all. While the NBA correctly mentioned that last season’s prominent Achilles injuries to Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, and Tyrese Haliburton skew injury statistics, it didn’t address the noticeable increase in calf and soft tissue injuries discussed initially. Moreover, teams are now more cautious with recovery times from such injuries, having learned from past experiences with players like Tatum and Haliburton.
Injuries are an inherent part of NBA seasons. With advances in sports science and the massive financial stakes involved, teams are now more risk-averse and prefer to keep star players off the court longer to ensure complete recovery. This cautious approach benefits both players and teams but means fans might see fewer appearances from their favorite stars in the short term.
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Fan Take: This injury trend and the league’s cautious approach to player recovery are crucial for basketball fans to understand, as it could affect the availability of star players and the overall pace of the game. While frustrating in the short term, prioritizing player health ensures the longevity of careers and maintains the quality of the sport for years to come.
