Trent Dilfer coined the term: "The best ability is availability." He often says this in reference to NFL QBs. What good is having "special arm talent" if you're on the bench? The Charlotte Hornets need to pay more attention to that ability.
Let's consider a potential starting 5:
Derrick Rose
Paul George
Kevin Durant
Blake Griffin
Dwight Howard
Let's get fitted for rings, right? Wrong. In 2014-15, those players combined to miss 214 games, and none of their teams made it to the NBA finals. Injuries derail championship aspirations. And in Charlotte's case, it keeps them from taking the next step forward.
This week, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist re-injured his right shoulder. It's the same shoulder that was hurt in the pre-season. So far MKG has played in 7 (seven) (VII) (siete) games this season. And for that, I blame Michael Jordan. Wait, WHAT? Bear with me.
The Hornets have lost 118 games to injury this season. That's seventh (7th) most in the NBA this year. Who's been hurt? MKG, Batum, Al Jefferson, Jeremy Lin, P.J. Hairston, Cody Zeller, Spencer Hawes. It's hard to win when 3 of your starting 5 are missing. And it's hard to have continuity when players are coming and going from the lineup.But hey, sometimes the injury bug bites. It's not like this happened last season....
... or is it? Charlotte had a full healthy roster for 8 games in the 2014-15 season. That's less than 10% of the season. Six players missed 10 or more games. The year before, they made the playoffs, but lost to Lebron and the Heat, due at least in part to injuries to Al and MKG. Hard to be a championship-level team when 2 of your starting 5 are out or injured.
Here's why I assign blame to the front office. Jordan can't control the effort his players give. He can't control how the ping-pong balls fall in the draft, or what plays the coaches draw up out of a time out. What he CAN control is the facilities, training staff, and player research. If you have the best training staff in the NBA, and you allow them to provide input on personnel decisions, you'll end up with your best players playing. And that's how you win titles, or at least compete for the best talent.
MJ himself had a remarkably injury-free career. He missed most of his second season with a broken foot, but after that remained free of major injuries until his final season with the Wizards. But he knows what happens to teams that don't pay attention to injuries. One of the teams that passed on Michael Jordan is a textbook example of missing a chance because of player injuries. Sam Bowie had an injury history in college, and Portland was never able to put a plan in place to keep him on the court. They put their training staff in a tough spot, and it cost them.
The Phoenix Suns are widely praised for their training staff. Did you know there's a trainer of the year award? Aaron Nelson of the Suns has won that award. For years, Phoenix has had a reputation for helping older players prolong their careers, and for helping players avoid injury. That's a draw in free agency. Smart players realize that injuries hurt their earnings potential in the endorsement market, and they'll look for teams that can promise them the best chance to stay on the court. Grant Hill extended his career in Phoenix. So did Shaquille o'Neal. Not only did those experienced players sign with the Suns, but THEY PLAYED. More than once, the Suns have lead the league in fewest games missed to injury, though this year has seen some major injuries crush their chances. Phoenix isn't in that position every. Single. Year. Charlotte is. And it's avoidable.
Charlotte can definitely compete to have the best training staff in the NBA. So why not do it? Compared to player salaries, training staff salaries are a minor expense. More importantly, the money you invest in training staff translates directly into ticket sales. Ticket sales are built around stars. If 3 of your starters are hurt, and you're signing guys to 10-day contracts, you've lost star power, and you'll lose ticket sales. Further, since healthier teams make the playoffs, trainers are also helping to generate revenue from those extra playoff games. Lastly, trainers protect the investment in your players. They can analyze a player's medical records and let you know which FA is likely to miss major time in the future. They get players back to the court more quickly. And a good training program emphasizes prevention as well as rehab, and helps reduce the severity of injuries.
So please, Mr. Jordan. Invest in a top-flight, world-class, game-changing training staff.
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