Inside the Numbers: Western Conference Big Five

[mikeinrowlett]

This is a look at the top 5 teams in the Western Conference and how they have faired against each other. Very interesting to see the results.

Dallas 8-3
Minn 4-3
LAL 5-4
Sac 2-3
SA 0-6

Remaining games against the Big Five

Dallas 2 hm 3 rd
Minn 4 hm 5 rd
LAL 5 hm 2 rd
SAC 4 hm 7 rd
SA 4 hm 6 rd

Final Analysis of the numbers:

Dallas has put themselves in a good position and has proved themselves to be a contender in the West. Sacramento and San Antonio seem to be the pretenders at this time and look for them to continue to slip in the standings. Minnesota is a solid pick at this time and seems to be in a position to maintain their Midwest division standing. The team that may prove to vault to the top of the standings is the LA Lakers. Health will obviously be a key.

Prediciton for final Western Conference standing based on the numbers:

LA Lakers
Minn
Dallas
Sac
SA
everyone else


We'll see what happens when AND IF everyone is healthy when the playoffs roll around

[PubaNWO]

pretty interesting analysis.....

I think the Lakers when healthy are still pretenders....

why you ask???

Distractions....

Kobe thing.....case thing....him wanting to leave thing.....

Shaq....still lallygaggin around in the regular season thinking it's not important and only trying to kill time so the playoffs can come so they can turn it on (which they can't)....

Malone and Payton (once great players) are old and only good players on good nights....sorta like the Rocket's Big 3 of Dream, Barkley, and Pippen that shoulda worked out but never did.....old and just good....not great anymore....

Lakers are just pretenders!!!

[Mavdog]

I think the Lakers when healthy are still pretenders....

Uh, not to burst your bubble, but do you recall what the LAL's record was before Malone went out with an injury?

Does 20-5 seem like the record of a "pretender"? No, not in the least. If the LAL's are healthy, they are the clear favorite, and they should be on their road to the crown. Best first five in the league.

Self-deception is not a healthy exercize...

[Chiwas]

Besides the good point, I'm wondering again about the lack of capability of the NBA to make balanced schedules. Or casting doubts.

I can't eat the "shortened distance" when I see Dallas playing one night in home and the next in Chicago.

Dallas has played 11 against the contenders, LA just 6 and Sac 5?

Also, how is that that some teams have had to play 4 games in 5 days (Minnesota, Dallas)?

Another one, some teams have played 4 (or so) more games than others. That is more than a scheduled week of playing in just the same weeks of season.

Anyway, glad to see the Mavs responding well, after all.

[PubaNWO]

Maybe I am looking at it that way......trying to hide the fact these are 4 HOF type of players, but they just don't scare me....especially if they're hurt on the bench!!!

Just imagine come playoff time and Shaq stubs a big toe or he pulls a calf muscle....you don't think the Mavs can be a Shaqless Faker team???

I think they can sweep them....

[Poindexter Einstein]

Originally posted by: PubaNWO

I think the Lakers when healthy are still pretenders....

It remains to be seen if you are accurate, but there is certainly merit in what you say.

Many make the ASSUMPTION that all the Lakers will magically get healthy and stay healthy and live happily ever after. That is a very big assumption, especially with the combo of age and injury history.

Kobe is coming off a big knee injury, and shoulder also. His outside issues will grow as he has to stare down the barrel of the gun that says "4 yrs to life" for what he did.
Shaq has continuing injuries caused by ongoing laxness in training. He worked out for a bit this summer, but he was merely "improved" rather than truly "in great shape" when the season began. The season bores him.
Payton and Malone both are getting old. Injuries happen more frequently and are harder to rebound from at older ages. Also, one injury will beget another. And Payton is getting pissy over the way that no one wants to play other than him - as he says, "This isnt what I expected when I came here."

The Lakers have lots of POTENTIAL. But they also could implode in a big way. And once you get past the big 4, they are very thin in true talent.

[WayOutWest]

The Mavs are mirroring the Spurs of last year. Not a great record at the All-Star break but a terrific record against the elite. This year the Spurs look to be feasting on the losing teams and losing to the contendors at an alarming rate. I think the regular season record is going to mean alot to teams in the WC. Seeds 4-8 are going to have to face 3 legitimate title contendors. Seeds 1-3 will most likely only need to face two.

As far as this boards second favorite topic, the Lakers, alot of what I see posted is wishfull thinking and the thoughts of fans who don't really have much confidence in their own team.

When healthy the Lakers are the best team on paper and early on in the season they where showing signs of being the best team on the floor. Injuries are an issue for every contendor this year, not just the Lakers. Trying to dream up of reason why the Lakers should have more injuries than other teams is just wuss logic. The only guy on the Lakers who would have a greater risk of injury than your typical NBA baller is Shaq because of his conditioning and style of play. Looking at the injury risks of the other contendors, Kings/Webber, Mavs/Dirk/Finely, Lakers/Shaq/Kobe, Minny/Hudson/Wally (not that it matters at this point) and Spurs/TD/Manu. Those guys have been injured in the playoffs, Shaq and Finely being the exception but they've been injured durring the regular season and missed and have been on the IL. The Lakers bench is the strongest bench they've had in past 4 years, it may be weak compared to other teams but the current Lakers bench is ALOT better than the bench that won 3 titles in a row. While Kobe's trial is definately a distraction this year, if you're following the case in the news it doesn't look like he will be spending any time in jail. Winning a title without Kobe is definately possible with the current Lakers squad, although I don't think they could get past Minny or Sactown.

[kg_veteran]

As far as this boards second favorite topic, the Lakers, alot of what I see posted is wishfull thinking and the thoughts of fans who don't really have much confidence in their own team.

When healthy the Lakers are the best team on paper and early on in the season they where showing signs of being the best team on the floor. Injuries are an issue for every contendor this year, not just the Lakers. Trying to dream up of reason why the Lakers should have more injuries than other teams is just wuss logic. The only guy on the Lakers who would have a greater risk of injury than your typical NBA baller is Shaq because of his conditioning and style of play. Looking at the injury risks of the other contendors, Kings/Webber, Mavs/Dirk/Finely, Lakers/Shaq/Kobe, Minny/Hudson/Wally (not that it matters at this point) and Spurs/TD/Manu. Those guys have been injured in the playoffs, Shaq and Finely being the exception but they've been injured durring the regular season and missed and have been on the IL. The Lakers bench is the strongest bench they've had in past 4 years, it may be weak compared to other teams but the current Lakers bench is ALOT better than the bench that won 3 titles in a row. While Kobe's trial is definately a distraction this year, if you're following the case in the news it doesn't look like he will be spending any time in jail. Winning a title without Kobe is definately possible with the current Lakers squad, although I don't think they could get past Minny or Sactown.

I think relying on the Lakers being hurt is weak; I'm not relying on that.

I think the Mavs are good enough to beat the Lakers if both teams are at full strength. In fact, I think Dallas is one of the few teams that can say that with a straight face.

The Lakers certainly looked formidable early in the season, rolling out to an impressive start. If they're healthy, I would suspect they will still be that formidable team come playoff time. But...

the Mavericks proved when they won in LA that they CAN beat the Lakers at full strength. Sure, Payton got tossed, but Mike Finley wasn't there either. It was two teams that couldn't use injuries or absences as an excuse, and the Mavs came out on top.

Now, I'm not saying they proved they can win a playoff series against the Lakers. That type of proof only comes in May. But I think it would be one hell of a series...

[Richard]

Originally posted by: WayOutWest
The Mavs are mirroring the Spurs of last year. Not a great record at the All-Star break but a terrific record against the elite. This year the Spurs look to be feasting on the losing teams and losing to the contendors at an alarming rate. I think the regular season record is going to mean alot to teams in the WC. Seeds 4-8 are going to have to face 3 legitimate title contendors. Seeds 1-3 will most likely only need to face two.

As far as this boards second favorite topic, the Lakers, alot of what I see posted is wishfull thinking and the thoughts of fans who don't really have much confidence in their own team.

When healthy the Lakers are the best team on paper and early on in the season they where showing signs of being the best team on the floor. Injuries are an issue for every contendor this year, not just the Lakers. Trying to dream up of reason why the Lakers should have more injuries than other teams is just wuss logic. The only guy on the Lakers who would have a greater risk of injury than your typical NBA baller is Shaq because of his conditioning and style of play. Looking at the injury risks of the other contendors, Kings/Webber, Mavs/Dirk/Finely, Lakers/Shaq/Kobe, Minny/Hudson/Wally (not that it matters at this point) and Spurs/TD/Manu. Those guys have been injured in the playoffs, Shaq and Finely being the exception but they've been injured durring the regular season and missed and have been on the IL. The Lakers bench is the strongest bench they've had in past 4 years, it may be weak compared to other teams but the current Lakers bench is ALOT better than the bench that won 3 titles in a row. While Kobe's trial is definately a distraction this year, if you're following the case in the news it doesn't look like he will be spending any time in jail. Winning a title without Kobe is definately possible with the current Lakers squad, although I don't think they could get past Minny or Sactown.

From a Wuss to a guy with his head buried in the sand: Age matters. While some of us may be being "Wusses" for prognosticating that the Lakers stand a pretty fair chance of continuing to have injury problems, I think anyone who tries to ignore that risk entirely is just burying their head in the sand. The Lakers have Shaq who has had injury problems of note every year for several years. Kobe who is coming off surgery and just hurt his shoulder and two guys who are VERY OLD for their positions. How many starting points are 35, how many PF's are 40? ONe each? Pretending age doesn't matter in relation to injuries and ability to perform deep into the playoff grind after a long regular season is just trying to wish away the obvious. Now, can they beat the odds? Of course. The worst news is they probably just need Shaq and any one of the other three healthy to be a very tough team to beat.

[Murphy3]

The Mavs could get past a healthy Lakers team. Why? Because the Mavs are capable of outscoring anyone. Sure, it'd be difficult to get hot enough to beat the Lakers 4 times in a 7 games series. But, it's definitely possible.

[kg_veteran]

I may be proven wrong, but I think the Mavs can defend well enough in a seven-game series to get it done against anybody.

[PubaNWO]

Well the Lakers better get healthy in a hurry because the playoffs are right around the corner!

It will take them a good 2 months of playing together again to regain their early basketball flow....

They may run out of time and energy to play well in the playoffs......we shall see!

[kingrex]

I'm a HUGE mavs fan, but many of the posters on this thread need to step on the breaks a bit. This Mavs team still needs to prove that they can play solid defense in a 7-game series. We all know they can light it up, but a 7-game series tends to exponse the weaknessess in a team's defense.

Age is a factor, and that is proving itself out with the injury-plagued Lakers. However, the Lakers just need to get to the 8th playoff spot and then get their guys healthy to play in the playoffs to be dangerous. Don't underestimate that team and Phil Jackson in a 7-game series.

The Timberwolves are the most consistently good basketball team this season, but they still have to deal with working Wally and Troy into the mix which may be a plus or spoil their current chemistry.

The Spurs have issues, but as long as Duncan is their defensive lynch-pin, they will contend in the playoffs.

The Kings played the Mavs at home down to the wire and they still don't have Webber. Like the Timberwolves, they will need to work Webber in, but their core group of 5 or more players have the benefit of having played 3 or more seasons together so the chemistry issue won't be a huge hurdle.

The good news is the Mavs are showing greater willingness to play defense, and seeing how playing defense benefits their transition offense. If they can stay committed to that, then I like our chances. The only caveat I offer is to not confuse one or two regular season games of playing good defense to be proof they can do it in the playoffs.

We can hope, but the proof IMO will only appear during the playoffs.

[kg_veteran]

I think it's fair to say that seeding in the Western Conference Playoffs has never been more important. WOW pointed this out. If you don't get a Top 3 seed, you've got to win three series against title contenders just to make it to the Finals.

That's all that the Mavs should be focused on at this point: Improving their seeding.

As for the Mavs defense, it's still a work in progress. Still, I think it'll end up better than last year's defense. And if it does, the Mavs have a legitimate shot to win it all.

[kingrex]

Good point KG.

The way this post-season is shaping up only further proves my assertion at the beginning of this year that this could be the most exciting season of NBA basketball in a while.

I'm licking my chops at the match-ups in the playoffs. Every match-up in the Western Conference will be solid. The eventual contender from the East will be Indiana, and I like how they match-up against the eventual winner from the West.

In the meantime, I'll just relish the regular season games.

[ddh33]

I'm really excited about seeing who matches up with whom in the playoffs. I think this could be pretty memorable.

I will say that I believe the Mavs are the biggest matchup nightmare in the league. I can't imagine anyone wanting to see Dallas in the playoffs. With this talent, we could cause all kinds of problems. Add Nellie as the coach, and who knows what to expect.

I think we may be the worst possible matchup for both LA and SA. I just don't know if those teams can consistently run and score with this team. I don't really think anyone will really be able to guard us for seven games.

The question is will we guard anyone over the course of a series? We all know if this group plays D (which can be a big IF), that they can play with and beat absolutely anyone.

[Murphy3]

One question:

Will their be a legitimate contender coming out of the East this year?

And yes, it is an absolute must to finish in the top 3 in the West for the Mavs or any other title contender.

[kg_veteran]

I think it depends on your definition of legitimate.

Would any of the teams in the East come out of the Western playoff bracket? Not in my opinion.

Are any of the Eastern Conference teams good enough to win a series against the team that comes out of the West? Right now I think the answer is yes. The Pacers could do it. I think the Pistons, Hornets, and even the Nets could win a couple of games in the Finals before succumbing.

[ddh33]

I think the Pacers are legit. I think they could conceivable beat anyone in the West. But I also think that their offense isn't quite good enough to beat the West's best in a seven game series. If Jermaine went nuts and played completely unstoppable, they might. I still think the Western teams are better than the East's by a pretty big margin. Detroit is the only other Eastern team that could play with the West, in my mind. And I don't think they're good enough to get it done either - maybe just a a couple of games. The Nets and Hornets don't scare me at all...

[kingrex]

The Pacers can contend in the West. They have a look of a Western Conference team. I believe they are the best choice to match-up against the any team coming out of the West.

[WayOutWest]

Originally posted by: Richard

From a Wuss to a guy with his head buried in the sand: Age matters. While some of us may be being "Wusses" for prognosticating that the Lakers stand a pretty fair chance of continuing to have injury problems, I think anyone who tries to ignore that risk entirely is just burying their head in the sand. The Lakers have Shaq who has had injury problems of note every year for several years. Kobe who is coming off surgery and just hurt his shoulder and two guys who are VERY OLD for their positions. How many starting points are 35, how many PF's are 40? ONe each? Pretending age doesn't matter in relation to injuries and ability to perform deep into the playoff grind after a long regular season is just trying to wish away the obvious. Now, can they beat the odds? Of course. The worst news is they probably just need Shaq and any one of the other three healthy to be a very tough team to beat.

Richard,

It helps if you pay attention.

Originally posted by: WayOutWest
The only guy on the Lakers who would have a greater risk of injury than your typical NBA baller is Shaq because of his conditioning and style of play. Looking at the injury risks of the other contendors, Kings/Webber, Mavs/Dirk/Finely, Lakers/Shaq/Kobe, Minny/Hudson/Wally (not that it matters at this point) and Spurs/TD/Manu. Those guys have been injured in the playoffs, Shaq and Finely being the exception but they've been injured durring the regular season and missed and have been on the IL.

[WayOutWest]

Originally posted by: kingrex
The Pacers can contend in the West. They have a look of a Western Conference team. I believe they are the best choice to match-up against the any team coming out of the West.

I think the Pacers could beat anyone comming out of the West but I really doubt they could beat L.A. or the Kings.

Dallas is a match up problem for everyone except the Kings. Even against the Wolves they would create a match up problem because KG can't gaurd both Dirk and Walker. That leaves someone in big trouble against the remaining Mav that KG isn't guarding. Everyone else doesn't match up well against the Mavs but can exploit them on defense and rebounding. The up tempo game will depend on rebounding and zone defenses will only work for so long in a game let alone a series.

I hope we get to see either a Mavs/Kings or Mavs/Wolves series at a minimum this year, those are the most entertaining series that the WC has to offer. The slug it out series involving the Lakers & Spurs will also be good but not as entertaining as the other IMO.

[kingrex]

Like I said the Pacers CAN contend and be competitive. Yes, even against the Lakers and the Kings.

[Jamisonite]

My standings would look something like this

Minn
LA
Dallas
Sac
SA

[MikeB]

I don't get why everybody is placing Minny ahead of us for end of season standings. They are 3 games ahead of us with 35+ games left. They still have 3 against the Lakers and Spurs and 1 against Sac and us. They are far from a shoein to win the division. We have the better conference and division record....if we can stay together and play like we now know we are capable of playing...then we win the Midwest and are no worse than the 2nd seed.

[grndmstr_c]

Minny's got the tougher road ahead, but they also have four less losses than us. Their remaining game against us is in Minny on the second night of a back-to-back...for us. It's not unrealistic to think that we might end up spiltting the season series against them, and that would mean that we'd have to depend on them losing AT LEAST four more games than us the rest of the way. Not out of the question, but nowhere near guaranteed. I definitely think we can catch them, but I also think at this point they have to be considered the favorites for the division crown, and quite possibly the #1 seed in the West (Sac's schedule is the worst of the Big 5). A lot of it depends on Cassell, IMO. The guy's really been playing over his head and has been the diference for the Wolves this season. Are we seeing the aging of a fine wine, or just a good player on a tear that will eventually come to an end? The answer to that question is probably also the answer to the question of who will have the best record in the West.

[kingrex]

I can definitely envision how the T'wolves will end with a better record than the Mavs. Firstly, in the course of the season they have played consistently better than the Mavs.

Don't get me wrong I can also see the Mavs ending with a better record, but not until this recent winning streak did the probability of this scenario really become much greater. I'll reserve further judgement after I see how the T'wolves play after Wally and Troy return.

[Richard]

Richard,

It helps if you pay attention.

The only guy on the Lakers who would have a greater risk of injury than your typical NBA baller is Shaq because of his conditioning and style of play.

>>WOW, I'm guilty of many things, fortunately my wife is unaware of most of them. But, not paying attention to your post isn't among the things.

The very quote you cite to prove your point is the one I would cite to prove mine. While Malone has had a great record of not getting hurt (miraculous almost) and Payton very good on that score too, I think the telling thing is if you asked any trainer in the NBA who he would expect to get hurt, your average age NBA starter or the oldest starting point in the league and the oldest starting (when he is not hurt) PF in the league, I think they would say the old guys would be a better than average bet to get hurt before the younger guys. To say Shaq is the Lakers only greater than average risk of injury is to ignore the effects of age on injury in the NBA. Guys don't give up their multimillion dollar paychecks in the NBA because they get tired of the money. Their bodies make them. Will it be this year for Malone and Payton? Maybe, maybe not. But the odds say the two oldest starters at their positions in the league make it a little more likely for them than other youinger players.

[WayOutWest]

Originally posted by: Richard
Richard,

It helps if you pay attention.

The only guy on the Lakers who would have a greater risk of injury than your typical NBA baller is Shaq because of his conditioning and style of play.

>>WOW, I'm guilty of many things, fortunately my wife is unaware of most of them. But, not paying attention to your post isn't among the things.

The very quote you cite to prove your point is the one I would cite to prove mine. While Malone has had a great record of not getting hurt (miraculous almost) and Payton very good on that score too, I think the telling thing is if you asked any trainer in the NBA who he would expect to get hurt, your average age NBA starter or the oldest starting point in the league and the oldest starting (when he is not hurt) PF in the league, I think they would say the old guys would be a better than average bet to get hurt before the younger guys. To say Shaq is the Lakers only greater than average risk of injury is to ignore the effects of age on injury in the NBA. Guys don't give up their multimillion dollar paychecks in the NBA because they get tired of the money. Their bodies make them. Will it be this year for Malone and Payton? Maybe, maybe not. But the odds say the two oldest starters at their positions in the league make it a little more likely for them than other youinger players.

Granted, but that's a far cry from burring my head in the sand. While I think age does greatly factor into the impact and duration of an injury, I don't think it impacts wether or not a player gets injured. The style of play has a much great factor with injuries than anything else. Two major reason Malone is such a trooper is because of his conditioning and style of play. Conditioning is pretty much a given but one thing people overlook is how much Malone's game has changed since the late 90's. He's much more of a jumpshooter and less of a moster banger like before. Shaq is the exact opposite, he's the worst of both worlds, poor conditioning and 99.99% inside banger. Odds are age would not factor into the current Vegas odds for injuries in the playoffs, I'm sure there's a line for it, there's a line for everyting else.

What impact player would you bet on NOT being healthy throughout playoffs?

Webber
Shaq
Dirk
TD
Kobe
Malone
KG

Those would be my bets in that order, age is not the primary factor, far from it.

[Max Power]

Originally posted by: Richard
I think the telling thing is if you asked any trainer in the NBA who he would expect to get hurt, your average age NBA starter or the oldest starting point in the league and the oldest starting (when he is not hurt) PF in the league, I think they would say the old guys would be a better than average bet to get hurt before the younger guys.

I don't think older players are more susceptible to injuries as much as the fact that they recover from those injuries at a much slower rate. So an injury that would bother a young guy for a couple of days might take an older guy a week or more to get over.

The only way I see older guys being more susceptible to injuries is when they have an accumulation of injuries that either flare up on occasion or because a player might compensate for an old injury it might cause new injuries.

[Jamisonite]

Originally posted by: MikeB
I don't get why everybody is placing Minny ahead of us for end of season standings. They are 3 games ahead of us with 35+ games left. They still have 3 against the Lakers and Spurs and 1 against Sac and us. They are far from a shoein to win the division. We have the better conference and division record....if we can stay together and play like we now know we are capable of playing...then we win the Midwest and are no worse than the 2nd seed.

Did i say they were a shoe in...NO...but u forget...theyve done all this without Troy Hudson and Wally...wait til they get em back

The kandi mans been out a lil too

[kingrex]

Originally posted by: Jamisonite

Did i say they were a shoe in...NO...but u forget...theyve done all this without Troy Hudson and Wally...wait til they get em back

The kandi mans been out a lil too

Even when the kandi man is in, he is still out, ya' know what I mean? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

[Mavs_fun_fan]

Originally posted by: Max Power

I don't think older players are more susceptible to injuries as much as the fact that they recover from those injuries at a much slower rate. So an injury that would bother a young guy for a couple of days might take an older guy a week or more to get over.

The only way I see older guys being more susceptible to injuries is when they have an accumulation of injuries that either flare up on occasion or because a player might compensate for an old injury it might cause new injuries.

You must be young that's all I can say. I'm not and I have pain in muscles and joints I didn't even know I had when I was young. Take my word for it a older player tires quicker and most injuries happen when a player is fatigued.

[LRB]

I would be willing to bet the Karl Malone of today is much more susceptible to injury than the karl Malone of 10 years ago. The same could be said of Payton. Both are in really good shape, but even fitness can't completely overcome the aging process. Still neither one is as susceptible to injury as a much younger Grant Hill though.

[MikeB]

Originally posted by: Jamisonite

Did i say they were a shoe in...NO...but u forget...theyve done all this without Troy Hudson and Wally...wait til they get em back

The kandi mans been out a lil too

I understand that these guys have been out...and they are playing really well. Their schedule ahead is harder and adding two players who need thr ball to be successful to their version of the Big 3 could cause more trouble than you might think. KG is not a big fan of Wally World so they could implode a little against tougher competition. Right now they have well defined and accepted roles on that team...adding Wally who will want to start and Troy who played very well for them last season could screw up the chemistry...you know...like adding a SF and a Point F to a 60 win WCF team this year.

[Nicky31]

I have a feeling the biggest game considering seeding goes is the next T-wloves game that will decide the tie breaker between them..Dallas wins that game; not the Spur's or the T-wolves can top them in a tie break for the midwest...


Hate to say this.. aside from building confidence these games are just regular season games. Come playoff time these teams seem to play at a different level especially the Laker's. We'll see how much the Mav's have improved this season come playoff time, but I have to admitt I like their chances if they continue to play as of late...

[Murphy3]

How well the Mavs do in the regular season will have a huge impact on their ability to succeed in the post season. That goes for all of the elite teams in the West. I don't see any team finishing below 3rd in the West advancing to the Finals.

[superheadcat]

if lakers can keep shaq "healthy" enough (honestly i don't know what that exactly means), and have all 4 stars "ready" (again, i don't have a good definition of it) come playoff time, they'll remain the team to beat.

but lakers will also have a tough time playing any other elite teams in a playoff series.

what would it be like if it is lakers who try to avoid physical play and confrontation?

[Max Power]

Originally posted by: Mavs_fun_fan

You must be young that's all I can say. I'm not and I have pain in muscles and joints I didn't even know I had when I was young. Take my word for it a older player tires quicker and most injuries happen when a player is fatigued.

I'm probably older than you are but personal experience is useless in this instance. These are professional athletes who make a living via their athletic prowess. Most players when I was young were washed up by about 32 or so but now many players play into their mid-to-late 30's. That's because the science of sports medicine is so advanced now.

An older player might tire earlier than when he was younger but that is usually compensated by experience - learning when to coast a little to get the energy back.

I will agree with you that >some< older players get injured because they forget what their bodies can and can't do anymore and they exceed their limits. But a smart player who plays within himself is no more injury prone than anyone else.

[LoveMyMavs14]

It's actually true that older players are more likely to get injuries, particularly in their knees. It's not REALLY a matter of being old, but rather years of pressure on the knees from jumping, banging bodies, and shooting. It's obviously different for each player, but you can't change the fact that Karl Malone's joints aren't like they used to be after the extreme physicality they've been through.