Strategiebereich » holes in their secondary during a relatively healthy sea

When LeBron James sprinted the length of the Oracle Arena floor and soared to meet Andre Iguodalas breakaway layup attempt at the glass in Game 7 of last seasons NBA Finals, he was playing in only his 23rd game over a span of 75 days.The Block has been immortalized as one of the signature plays in NBA history, but it wasnt the first glimpse of vintage LeBron the world witnessed during Clevelands run to the title. James 43 dunks during the postseason eclipsed his previous high of 30. At age 31, he consistently appeared to be the spryest player on the floor against younger opponents on Golden State, Toronto and Detroit.Theres little mystery as to why a transcendent superstar subjected to playing as many as five games in a week during the regular season would enjoy a spring revival: In the postseason, that workload was reduced to fewer than a single game every three days. Under the current playoff format, a team never plays on consecutive days, and that format is an admission by the league that at the moment when all eyes are on the NBA and its best talent, the more rest, the better.The poor methodology tolerated in crafting the regular-season schedule -- the lockout-shortened 2011 postseason notwithstanding -- doesnt fly when the world is watching.Now the league seems ready to take action in the new collective bargaining agreement with players. Sources told ESPN that going forward, NBA teams will play two or three fewer preseason games. In turn, the regular season will begin a week to 10 days earlier, which will allow NBA teams to stretch 82 games over a more generous span of time.This measure could eliminate blocks of four games in five nights and drastically reduce the number of back-to-back sets. In implementing these reforms, the NBA has come closer than ever to codifying what modern science, the leagues players and coaches, and commissioner Adam Silver have all publicly acknowledged in recent years:Playing 82 regular-season games over a period of 170 days is an impediment to optimal athletic performance and world-class basketball on a nightly basis.Playing a four-in-five or a five-in-seven is a different kind of feeling, says Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum. Its mentally draining. Its physically draining. Youre not getting a lot of sleep. Youre exhausted and the other team knows it.McCollum made a point to mention a dreaded upcoming trip when the Trail Blazers will play in nine different cities in four different time zones over a 15-day span. The trip includes a five-games-in-seven-days bundle that concludes with a jaunt to Portland for a single game after playing the previous night in Los Angeles. After that, the Trail Blazers head right back out on the road for three more away games. The reform should ameliorate some of the madness.Players will be sharper, McCollum says. Execution will be better. There will be fewer DNP-Rests and scheduling losses. Fans want to see opponents when both teams are fresh. Players want that too. Its better basketball.The fact that scheduling loss is a term of art in the NBA underscores how necessary a schedule overhaul is. Though much of the attention in executive suites around the league will focus on the new CBAs more aggressive revenue sharing and the cap implication of its revised salary structure, the stipulations for the schedule are a nontrivial concession by the league. Dozens of preseason dates that generate revenue for ownership -- to the chagrin of season-ticket holders who have to fork over their money for tasteless aperitifs -- will be wiped away.But in exchange, the league and its owners are investing in the health and well-being of the athletes who drive the value of the NBA. As Silver told McCollum in an interview for The Players Tribune last summer, The science is [telling us] that the No. 1 correlation between play and injuries is fatigue.The San Antonio Spurs have been incorporating this science into their workflow for years, with Tim Duncan as basketballs ultimate case study. Consulting with top performance specialists, breaking down the data, and collaborating across the basketball operations staff, the Spurs created best practices that included routinely sitting their best players when the schedule demanded it -- even if it meant eliciting the ire of the league office.Less than four years after hitting the Spurs with a $250,000 fine for resting their players at optimal times, the NBA is implementing the Spurs philosophy as official league policy.Back-to-backs are the scourge of an NBA teams calendar. Not only do consecutive games deny world-class athletes prime recovery time, but in the vast majority of instances, players are required to board flights late and arrive at their destinations at ungodly hours. Rarely a week goes by in the NBA without a play-by-play announcer noting that a team arrived at the hotel at 3 a.m. the morning of the game.When you hear that announced, youve already sort of resigned yourself to feel like, Well, this isnt what I paid for, says W. Chris Winter, a neurologist and sleep specialist who has consulted numerous teams across professional sports, including the Thunder and Wizards.A team wouldnt play wearing uniforms that were too restrictive to shoot the basketball or a with a rim whose height wasnt adjusted properly. No one would stand for any of that. Yet having players get into their hotel rooms after 3 oclock in the morning has become a strange accepted part of the sport. We all but guarantee that these athletes arent playing at an elite level.Winter noted that he attended a recent NHL game featuring the New York Rangers, a team he works with, who were playing their fifth game in eight days. From the start, you kind of got the impression watching them play, Yeeeeah, probably not the best were going to see them play this year, Winter says.The Rangers were blanked by Ottawa 2-0, the first time all season theyd been shut out.The drive to reduce the load for NBA players has never been a gesture of sympathy. A more sparing schedule isnt coddling an NBA player any more than a driver not riding the clutch is coddling a manual transmission. The objective isnt altruism -- its performance. Thats always been the NBAs strongest selling point. The NFL revels in its ritual Sundays and pageantry, while baseball offers nostalgia and mythology.But the NBA is where the athletes rule, and the league will ascend only as high as its superstars can soar.Theyd soar higher if the NBA reduced the overall docket of 82 games in addition to the back-to-backs, but the nature of progress is incremental, especially when money is at stake. And after two decades of contentious CBA negotiations that produced a couple of work stoppages and perpetual grumbling, NBA players and owners are in the process of assembling a new contract that, for the first time, considers empirical scientific evidence when formulating its schedule.Next season, the choice between putting the best product on the floor in January and playing to win in June wont stand in such stark contrast. Cheap Paul George Shoes . -- Josh Sterk scored once and set up two more as the Oshawa Generals edged the visiting Belleville Bulls 3-2 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Paul George Shoes Deals . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. https://www.cheappaulgeorgeshoes.com/ . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. Wholesale Paul George Shoes . Durant finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, Jackson matched his career high with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and Lamb scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, lifting the Thunder to a 94-88 win over San Antonio and snapping the Spurs 11-game winning streak. Paul George Shoes Outlet . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson is very hopeful he will return from a high ankle sprain for Sundays game against Carolina.Johnson was limited in practice this week, but coach Jeff Fisher said it was only because the Rams were being cautious with their highest-paid player. The team will wait until game time to decide whether Johnson will play.Ive been testing it all week, and I feel good, so well see, Johnson said Friday. Im just ready to play, man. Im tired of losing. I sit out there and I watch my teammates, but Im ready to get back.The Rams top defensive back hasnt played since Oct. 9, when he incurred an ankle sprain and a bone bruise during a game against Buffalo. Although the secondary is far from their biggest problem, the Rams (3-4) havent won since Johnson got hurt, dropping three straight before their bye week.Johnson had seven interceptions last season while starting opposite Janoris Jenkins. After Jenkins left for a lavish free-agent deal with the Giants, Johnson agreed to play this season under the franchise tag, making nearly $14 million.Johnson said he has watched the replay of his injury over and over. He was initially angry about the circumstances, but eventually beccame grateful the damage wasnt much worse.ddddddddddddIts just part of the game, Johnson said. I could have broken it.The Rams have capably patched holes in their secondary during a relatively healthy season. Troy Hill began the season as a starter opposite Johnson before E.J. Gaines return from injury, and Hill then started both games in Johnsons absence, gaining valuable experience. Lamarcus Joyner also started the last two games.In the secondary, our young guys have stepped up and done really well, Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said.Los Angeles defense struggled against the Detroit Lions three weeks ago, but played well against Odell Beckham Jr. and the Giants two weeks ago in London. Johnson traveled to England with the club, using the time to get constant rehabilitation work on his leg.The 6-foot-2 Johnson has the speed and size to contend with larger receivers, including Carolinas Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess.Ive been playing against big guys all my life, Johnson said. Its going to be a good matchup for us.---AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '