How would shortening the NBA season affect the Kings?

On June 2, during his annual pre-finals press conference, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver brought up the topic of potentially shortening the length of the league’s current 82-game regular season.

“It’s something we have been talking a lot about the last few years,” Silver said. “I’m not against potentially changing the format of the season, possibly even shortening it a bit, if we can demonstrate that’s going to have a direct impact on injuries.”

Since then, every podcast and sports talk show imaginable has discussed the topic at length. And like many other league format issues, there is a generational divide.

One of the main points for shortening the season is the health benefits it would provide for players. Many people think a shortened campaign will not only decrease the amount of late-season injuries, but also lower the number of games players sit out for load management. Players in the modern era are stronger and more athletic than ever, which has both positive and negative effects on their bodies.

For the opposition, a valid point commonly made is that players have endured an 82-game season since the late 1960s, and that the ability to play at a high level over that span is part of what separates the elite from the inferior.

For reference, Michael Jordan played at least 80 games in 11 of his 15 seasons in the league. LeBron James has only hit 80 games in three of his 19 seasons in the league. The modern league is different.

But if the season were to get shortened, how would it directly affect the Kings?

As things stand right now, a shortened season could have a negative impact on the Kings and other struggling teams. Sacramento is a team that has to grind during the regular season and does not have the luxury of being able to take games off. Every game matters when you’re on the eve of breaking the threshold of the postseason. If the…