2025 NBA Season

[Yamifoud]

^ I have my doubts that Zion will ever be able to play a full 82 game season. He’s just too big to be a professional basketball player. The speed and strength of this guy almost ensures an injury. Healthy, he’s the most dominant player the NBA has seen since Shaq, and more athletic than a young LeBron. If they did figure out how to keep him healthy for the rest of his career, he would no doubt be one of the best to ever do it.

I think he will be put in restrictive minutes here just to preserved his money because I also agree that he might not take that gruelling 82 games without hurting his body unless he is really that freak of nature like Lebron or Giannis who can sustain that run.

And the team and medical stuff at NOP should know by now how to take care of Zion. They have been doing their job already, but it seems that he still got injured last season when we thought that he has come back and strong and fully rehabilitated and can play and help NOP.

We just have to trust the health experts and his conditioning coach to do their job. Zion is still young, and there's still a chance for him to improve himself, as we have already seen results. We have divided opinions on what we've seen and are still somewhat disappointed, especially since every season for Zion has been a mess. So, this might be the final season for him, and let's give him another try.

If minutes restriction and load management will be impose by the coaching staff for him, then be it if it's for the better.

[dwyane36]

^ I have my doubts that Zion will ever be able to play a full 82 game season. He’s just too big to be a professional basketball player. The speed and strength of this guy almost ensures an injury. Healthy, he’s the most dominant player the NBA has seen since Shaq, and more athletic than a young LeBron. If they did figure out how to keep him healthy for the rest of his career, he would no doubt be one of the best to ever do it.

It's worth noting that Shaq wasn't prone to injuries like Zion is, even though Shaq weighed a lot more than Zion, and he played in a time when the paint was more contact-oriented rather than as soft as it is now. By comparison, Shaq missed only 5 games in his first three seasons in the NBA, while Zion missed 161 games in his first three seasons. It's hard to imagine what the Pelicans management and medical staff should do to keep Zion healthy throughout his NBA career.

[yazher]

^ I have my doubts that Zion will ever be able to play a full 82 game season. He’s just too big to be a professional basketball player. The speed and strength of this guy almost ensures an injury. Healthy, he’s the most dominant player the NBA has seen since Shaq, and more athletic than a young LeBron. If they did figure out how to keep him healthy for the rest of his career, he would no doubt be one of the best to ever do it.

He got the best contract in his rookie year They thought he was gonna be a phenomenal player who will bring the team in the championship in the future but his been prone to injuries every year and hasn't been playing complete games in a season since then. That's right if they cannot figure out how they gonna effectively use him without risking too much in a game, then their dream of getting the championship will still be a dream for a long long time because Zion's skills are rusting and won't improve if he doesn't play much basketball in the NBA and learn to adjust so that he won't get injured too often.

[Kasabus]

They may try load management just like what the Clippers is doing with Kawhi, but again there's no escaping injuries once it hit you.
New Orleans fans are getting restless, he needs to be better this season.

The best thing to do if they want to limit the possibility of Zion getting injured again is to take that load management thing. If the Raptors were successful with the load management they applied to Leonard, I see no reason why the Pelicans wouldn't be able to do the same. The good thing about the Pelicans is that even without Zion, they can still make the playoffs. This is a relief, as they can choose to let Zion focus on the playoffs.

However, fans might not like this load management approach, as they come to see their favorite players on the court. Zion is the team's best player, so it might disappoint some fans. Nevertheless, business is business, and the team needs to focus on what's best for the overall team.

That's the downside, as fans often complain about load management. Some buy tickets well in advance, yet they might not know if a specific player will participate due to announcements being made as little as 24 hours before the game or even at game time. However, if we are following NBA, we would know that it exist, so as long as the NBA doesn't implement rules regarding this, teams are within their rights to utilize load management to safeguard the health of their players, particularly those prone to injury.

I think the problem is that players have gotten so much bigger and stronger over the years that injuries are just more likely. The obvious solution would be to have less games but that would mean less money and a nightmare for career stats. That’s why I understand load management. Players like Kobe or LeBron who are going for their legacy will always be out there if they can.

I guess that's part of it because before entering into the league, these players surely know what they are up to and there's no guarantee that they can play as many seasons as they like because there will be some factors along the road that will somehow prevent these players to finish strong. Load management is a good thing but I don't see any ways right now to help the players more but to take care of their health themselves so that they can somehow prevent an injury. Having less games means less business, that's why I don't think that it will happen.

[Russlenat]

^ I have my doubts that Zion will ever be able to play a full 82 game season. He’s just too big to be a professional basketball player. The speed and strength of this guy almost ensures an injury. Healthy, he’s the most dominant player the NBA has seen since Shaq, and more athletic than a young LeBron. If they did figure out how to keep him healthy for the rest of his career, he would no doubt be one of the best to ever do it.

I think he will be put in restrictive minutes here just to preserved his money because I also agree that he might not take that gruelling 82 games without hurting his body unless he is really that freak of nature like Lebron or Giannis who can sustain that run.

And the team and medical stuff at NOP should know by now how to take care of Zion. They have been doing their job already, but it seems that he still got injured last season when we thought that he has come back and strong and fully rehabilitated and can play and help NOP.

We just have to trust the health experts and his conditioning coach to do their job. Zion is still young, and there's still a chance for him to improve himself, as we have already seen results. We have divided opinions on what we've seen and are still somewhat disappointed, especially since every season for Zion has been a mess. So, this might be the final season for him, and let's give him another try.

If minutes restriction and load management will be impose by the coaching staff for him, then be it if it's for the better.

They will try to make some room for that so that Zion can adjust during his playtime but for only a limited time because they cannot handle these kinds of setting if they are already approaching a much intense games like the ones before the season will end mainly if they can grab a secure seat towards the playoffs.

As for now, let's just hope for Zion's situation because it's much more entertaining if we can see him play more games compared to the recent season he had. You know, Pelicans can be a dark horse as well, it's just that they have a situation that is giving them struggles almost every season.

[freedomgo]

^ I have my doubts that Zion will ever be able to play a full 82 game season. He’s just too big to be a professional basketball player. The speed and strength of this guy almost ensures an injury. Healthy, he’s the most dominant player the NBA has seen since Shaq, and more athletic than a young LeBron.

Well, we might truly see a repetition of what has happened to him for several seasons having an injury. But boy, I've seen the recent photos of him and he's got more buff. I guess it's time for him to invest in how to maintain his body but not compromise his performance just as Lebron takes care of his body.

If they did figure out how to keep him healthy for the rest of his career, he would no doubt be one of the best to ever do it.

This is without any doubt. We do recognize how good and full package he is.

He truly is a destructive power in the center which makes him even more dangerous, and he can be a menace at times too. It's just unfortunate that he cannot play that much in the league in the past few seasons that he's been in because of the injuries that he acquired that seems not going away from him. And to make things worse, he keeps on getting a season threatening injury when the season is approaching its end, meaning the team badly needs him during those times but he cannot do anything but to see in the sidelines cheering for his team.

[Pamadar]

They may try load management just like what the Clippers is doing with Kawhi, but again there's no escaping injuries once it hit you.
New Orleans fans are getting restless, he needs to be better this season.

The best thing to do if they want to limit the possibility of Zion getting injured again is to take that load management thing. If the Raptors were successful with the load management they applied to Leonard, I see no reason why the Pelicans wouldn't be able to do the same. The good thing about the Pelicans is that even without Zion, they can still make the playoffs. This is a relief, as they can choose to let Zion focus on the playoffs.

However, fans might not like this load management approach, as they come to see their favorite players on the court. Zion is the team's best player, so it might disappoint some fans. Nevertheless, business is business, and the team needs to focus on what's best for the overall team.

If I'm the one to take it, I will go with load management, but injury is something that uncontrollable, and with the way Zion plays the game, there are always chances that he might get into trouble.

His weight really affecting his movements, with his powerful attempts to make a basket always accompanied by
the chance that he may land wrongly and got injured.

Without him controlling his physical health, he's always prone to injury that may really affect him and the whole
squad.

[OgNasty]

^ I have my doubts that Zion will ever be able to play a full 82 game season. He’s just too big to be a professional basketball player. The speed and strength of this guy almost ensures an injury. Healthy, he’s the most dominant player the NBA has seen since Shaq, and more athletic than a young LeBron.

Well, we might truly see a repetition of what has happened to him for several seasons having an injury. But boy, I've seen the recent photos of him and he's got more buff. I guess it's time for him to invest in how to maintain his body but not compromise his performance just as Lebron takes care of his body.

If they did figure out how to keep him healthy for the rest of his career, he would no doubt be one of the best to ever do it.

This is without any doubt. We do recognize how good and full package he is.

He truly is a destructive power in the center which makes him even more dangerous, and he can be a menace at times too. It's just unfortunate that he cannot play that much in the league in the past few seasons that he's been in because of the injuries that he acquired that seems not going away from him. And to make things worse, he keeps on getting a season threatening injury when the season is approaching its end, meaning the team badly needs him during those times but he cannot do anything but to see in the sidelines cheering for his team.

I think the last two seasons in a row he was pretty much healed as the playoffs rolled around. Both times he chose not to play. I think probably 95% of players in his position would’ve chose to play the end of both those seasons, but not Zion. He doesn’t have that Mamba Mentality. He’s a beast though and it’s a good thing he’s being careful. Maybe he’ll figure out the injury stuff this year. We’ll see.

[wheelz1200]

They may try load management just like what the Clippers is doing with Kawhi, but again there's no escaping injuries once it hit you.
New Orleans fans are getting restless, he needs to be better this season.

The best thing to do if they want to limit the possibility of Zion getting injured again is to take that load management thing. If the Raptors were successful with the load management they applied to Leonard, I see no reason why the Pelicans wouldn't be able to do the same. The good thing about the Pelicans is that even without Zion, they can still make the playoffs. This is a relief, as they can choose to let Zion focus on the playoffs.

However, fans might not like this load management approach, as they come to see their favorite players on the court. Zion is the team's best player, so it might disappoint some fans. Nevertheless, business is business, and the team needs to focus on what's best for the overall team.

If I'm the one to take it, I will go with load management, but injury is something that uncontrollable, and with the way Zion plays the game, there are always chances that he might get into trouble.

His weight really affecting his movements, with his powerful attempts to make a basket always accompanied by
the chance that he may land wrongly and got injured.

Without him controlling his physical health, he's always prone to injury that may really affect him and the whole
squad.

No doubt new Orleans is going to treat him with care.  Definitely no back to back games, I can see zion playing (if healthy all year) a max of 55-60 games.  You will see injury reports out on him for some mysterious things which is by design, basically load management without passing off the NBA or the fans lol.  They want and need him for the stretch run at the end of the year.

[dezoel]

The game is much faster these days, that's the difference. We are seeing a game where everyone constantly running around, we do not see too many players doing ISO play or any post up play neither, we are seeing people who end up just working towards shooting as soon as possible.

Compare the amount of shots taken in a game today and a game 20 years ago and you will see the difference. I am not saying that strategies need to change to make sure players are not injured, if you are getting wins then you are getting wins, but it is definitely not the same ball. I think it should be important to realize that many players are adjusting their body to this new fast pace as well, and the ones who do not end up getting early retirements.

[Oasisman]

The game is much faster these days, that's the difference. We are seeing a game where everyone constantly running around, we do not see too many players doing ISO play or any post up play neither, we are seeing people who end up just working towards shooting as soon as possible.

Compare the amount of shots taken in a game today and a game 20 years ago and you will see the difference. I am not saying that strategies need to change to make sure players are not injured, if you are getting wins then you are getting wins, but it is definitely not the same ball. I think it should be important to realize that many players are adjusting their body to this new fast pace as well, and the ones who do not end up getting early retirements.

That is correct! That's why I don't really fully agreed that the 90's has better defense and has a better type of game than todays. I mean, you can not compare 2 different eras that plays differently. Yes the 90s had a pretty great and rough defense because most of their plays does not involve too much outside and perimeter shooting. While todays NBA, everyone can shoot anywhere than penetrating and draining a lot of energy to try and score. I can say if the 90s had a great defense, but the current NBA today has way better offense.

[passwordnow]

~snip~

He truly is a destructive power in the center which makes him even more dangerous, and he can be a menace at times too. It's just unfortunate that he cannot play that much in the league in the past few seasons that he's been in because of the injuries that he acquired that seems not going away from him. And to make things worse, he keeps on getting a season threatening injury when the season is approaching its end, meaning the team badly needs him during those times but he cannot do anything but to see in the sidelines cheering for his team.

Yeah, it's his injuries that stops him from keeping on. That's why when he was healthy and said to be back in the ball game, many have become excited to see him back again in action. I guess it's embodied to him but hopefully, he'll make some things to work so that he can prolong every season that he's going to play and his team will come out of something that will help him able to get on his shape and maintain that for the rest of the season. But if he becomes injured again and won't be able to play, that will not be anything surprising anymore.

[OgNasty]

New York Times is reporting a quote from Giannis Antetokounmpo where he alludes to signing with a new team for the first time ever. Definitely trouble for the Bucks. He’s going to play for them this year, but to me it sounds like he’s preparing them for a departure after the season. If he goes to the Warriors and pairs with Curry, it will be the greatest team ever built.

[Captain Corporate]

New York Times is reporting a quote from Giannis Antetokounmpo where he alludes to signing with a new team for the first time ever. Definitely trouble for the Bucks. He’s going to play for them this year, but to me it sounds like he’s preparing them for a departure after the season. If he goes to the Warriors and pairs with Curry, it will be the greatest team ever built.

Wouldn't really make sense, but wouldn't be weird either. Bucks are not that great, but he already won a title with them and been a "single team guy" so far, he could just keep playing there until he retires and make a lot of money and be remembered as a great MVP and fmvp, and just goes off the sunset. That is the no pressure choice, if he wants to have all the pressure he could get, then he could simply just partner up with another star, and he could try to get more rings and if he does get it then that's even better than what he had so far, but if he fails, that would be worse because he left his team for nothing in that case. So lets see what he does but I sure do hope he stays.

[danherbias07]

The game is much faster these days, that's the difference. We are seeing a game where everyone constantly running around, we do not see too many players doing ISO play or any post up play neither, we are seeing people who end up just working towards shooting as soon as possible.

Compare the amount of shots taken in a game today and a game 20 years ago and you will see the difference. I am not saying that strategies need to change to make sure players are not injured, if you are getting wins then you are getting wins, but it is definitely not the same ball. I think it should be important to realize that many players are adjusting their body to this new fast pace as well, and the ones who do not end up getting early retirements.

Fast-paced. Spot on.
I think it all started with Coach Mike D'Antoni and the Phoenix Suns with Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire. After that, transition plays became a norm in the NBA. Make the play while the defense is not yet set because the chance of scoring is higher than doing post-ups, isolations, or other half-court plays.
In this method, you won't need a KD and Jokic. You just need guards who are fast enough to set their foot and shoot. I think that's also the reason why the NBA became an exhausting game and players became prone to injuries. Truly, it's a different era now. You won't see anyone shooting a three on a 2 against 1 fast break unlike now. 

While we are waiting for the NBA tip-off. We could watch the FIBA tip-off later and our favorite NBA stars will also be there.
NBA shared the format of how the game will work and here is the link for it.
https://www.nba.com/news/2023-fiba-world-cup-preview
FIBA World Cup: Format, list of NBA players and how to watch

The 2023 FIBA World Cup tips off Friday with 32 teams playing in 92 games over 16 days of competition, all of them vying for the title of world champion as well as qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

[ChiBitCTy]

New York Times is reporting a quote from Giannis Antetokounmpo where he alludes to signing with a new team for the first time ever. Definitely trouble for the Bucks. He’s going to play for them this year, but to me it sounds like he’s preparing them for a departure after the season. If he goes to the Warriors and pairs with Curry, it will be the greatest team ever built.

I don't see why he would be leaving the Bucks.  I mean maybe there's internal struggles we haven't heard about, or perhaps things I simply haven't heard about, but lets say he does..greatest team ever? I think that's a bit of a stretch.  Curry is getting old, and although he's still the greatest shooter ever, he's getting old.  Klay isn't the same player he use to be either. 

No way that team is better than the 72-10 Bulls.  Though of course I am biased.

[Questat]

New York Times is reporting a quote from Giannis Antetokounmpo where he alludes to signing with a new team for the first time ever. Definitely trouble for the Bucks. He’s going to play for them this year, but to me it sounds like he’s preparing them for a departure after the season. If he goes to the Warriors and pairs with Curry, it will be the greatest team ever built.

I don't see why he would be leaving the Bucks.  I mean maybe there's internal struggles we haven't heard about, or perhaps things I simply haven't heard about, but lets say he does..greatest team ever? I think that's a bit of a stretch.  Curry is getting old, and although he's still the greatest shooter ever, he's getting old.  Klay isn't the same player he use to be either. 

No way that team is better than the 72-10 Bulls.  Though of course I am biased.

Giannis probably still can't accept that they were beaten by the Miami Heat when they were the heavy favorites. When a team is struggling, problems also arise internally. So, maybe he doesn't want to remain in that environment anymore. Signing with another team would give him a fresh start, and perhaps he is hoping to join a team that hasn't won a championship yet, so he can bring new success to his resume and be considered one of the greats in the NBA.

I'm also wondering if he leaves the Bucks, would he take his brother with him?

[LogitechMouse]

New York Times is reporting a quote from Giannis Antetokounmpo where he alludes to signing with a new team for the first time ever. Definitely trouble for the Bucks. He’s going to play for them this year, but to me it sounds like he’s preparing them for a departure after the season. If he goes to the Warriors and pairs with Curry, it will be the greatest team ever built.

After that huge blowout loss against the Heat in only 5 games last playoffs, that might've affected Giannis' trust, and faith with the organization, and to the players as well.

I mean you're the top seeded team last season, and you will just get defeated by an 8th seeded team in only 5 games. That's shameful TBH, and that's why he said on the interview "If everybody's not on the same page" is because he don't want to happen what happened last playoffs.

Now regarding him going to the Warriors, who will the Warriors be willing to give up just to get Giannis? I mean I can't think of any players, and TBH I don't think that the either of the team are interested in trading their own players. Bucks aren't interested in any of the Warriors right now, except for maybe Looney, and they don't want Green IMO because he's old already. Overall, I don't see this trade kind of happening in the future, but who knows.

[jakelyson]

^ I have my doubts that Zion will ever be able to play a full 82 game season. He’s just too big to be a professional basketball player. The speed and strength of this guy almost ensures an injury. Healthy, he’s the most dominant player the NBA has seen since Shaq, and more athletic than a young LeBron. If they did figure out how to keep him healthy for the rest of his career, he would no doubt be one of the best to ever do it.

Unless he changes how he plays and tries to play smart rather than driving strong and hard on the basket, we might not see him complete a whole season. It is a hard switch since speed and strength are his bread and butter but at the expense of his body. It is good that we see him now trimming down but I think that is not enough. Like what others here have suggested, he needs to develop his postgame. It is not attractive and highlight-producing moves, but it will surely save his career and lengthen his playing days.

I think the problem is that players have gotten so much bigger and stronger over the years that injuries are just more likely. The obvious solution would be to have less games but that would mean less money and a nightmare for career stats. That’s why I understand load management. Players like Kobe or LeBron who are going for their legacy will always be out there if they can.

That could be a factor. Also, NBA players start young, and their body is not fully developed for a full professional season in the NBA. Unlike before, players used to go to college first then draft on NBA. Now, NBA are drafting straight from High school. The game also is fast-paced now. And with so many games in a season, their body can hardly recover from the stress.

^ I have my doubts that Zion will ever be able to play a full 82 game season. He’s just too big to be a professional basketball player. The speed and strength of this guy almost ensures an injury. Healthy, he’s the most dominant player the NBA has seen since Shaq, and more athletic than a young LeBron. If they did figure out how to keep him healthy for the rest of his career, he would no doubt be one of the best to ever do it.

It's worth noting that Shaq wasn't prone to injuries like Zion is, even though Shaq weighed a lot more than Zion, and he played in a time when the paint was more contact-oriented rather than as soft as it is now. By comparison, Shaq missed only 5 games in his first three seasons in the NBA, while Zion missed 161 games in his first three seasons. It's hard to imagine what the Pelicans management and medical staff should do to keep Zion healthy throughout his NBA career.

Shaq does not do quick moves or drives to the basket; he does post moves. His era also was a slow-paced unlike in today's games.

Well, the Pelicans knew what they were getting when they drafted Zion. He was injured in his last game in Duke and if I am right, he was also injured when they drafted him.

[carlisle1]

New York Times is reporting a quote from Giannis Antetokounmpo where he alludes to signing with a new team for the first time ever. Definitely trouble for the Bucks. He’s going to play for them this year, but to me it sounds like he’s preparing them for a departure after the season. If he goes to the Warriors and pairs with Curry, it will be the greatest team ever built.

Wouldn't really make sense, but wouldn't be weird either. Bucks are not that great, but he already won a title with them and been a "single team guy" so far, he could just keep playing there until he retires and make a lot of money and be remembered as a great MVP and fmvp, and just goes off the sunset. That is the no pressure choice, if he wants to have all the pressure he could get, then he could simply just partner up with another star, and he could try to get more rings and if he does get it then that's even better than what he had so far, but if he fails, that would be worse because he left his team for nothing in that case. So lets see what he does but I sure do hope he stays.

If he's seeking for more title biting, that kind of offer will help him to hype his career,

pairing him with Steph together with the core stars of Warriors is somehow like having another kind of KD type of star.

Step and the rest of the team knows how to work things out as they always aiming to win and not just to
gain individual stats and achievements.

I like to see how this rumor will rise and how Giannis will bring enlightenment with these possibilities.