Adam Silver Advised to Shorten Playoffs After Multiple Injuries Dampen Stellar Viewership Ratings

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has witnessed an increasing number of injuries hamper an otherwise stellar 2025 postseason.

Adam Silver Advised to Shorten Playoffs After Multiple Injuries Dampen Stellar Viewership Ratings

Adam Silver's NBA facing injury crisis despite garnering great ratings (Image via FirstSportz)

Adam Silver brought the curtain down on the 2024-25 NBA season when he handed the Oklahoma City Thunder the Larry O’Brien trophy. The season marked a strange change for the league as it went through a difficult opening half, where fans were losing interest in the game.

In the second half, the situation pivoted a full 180 degrees. The Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers kick-started one of the wildest trade deadlines in sporting history. All the events of that week managed to push the league back to the top of sports fans’ interests.

Then, as the regular season continued after the All-Star break, several storylines started to develop, and the league was once again enjoying heightened interest from fans. The final few games before the playoffs and the postseason in general were some of the highlights of the season.

The first 2 games of the NBA Finals did not garner much interest as two small-market teams, OKC and the Pacers, battled it out. Fans started tuning back in when it came to the attention that the series was anything but a one-sided affair.

ESPN PR released a communication after Game 7, that an average of 16.35 million fans tuned in to watch. The game peaked at just below 20 million, making this game the most-watched Finals game over the last 6 years.

That is quite the response from fans who had initially deserted the league, forcing Adam Silver and his sleuths to scratch their heads trying to figure out how to bring them back. However, this return of interest has also coincided with an increase in injuries.

Analysts warn Adam Silver of injuries that can hamper growth

A few months ago, Adam Silver was asked if there were any plans to shrink the season down from the gruelling 82-game marathon. This was in the wake of several instances of load management. However, the commissioner stood defiant and indirectly blamed player conditioning for early-season injuries.

He believed there were fewer injuries late in the season. Moreover, the league has had 82 games as the norm, and reducing it would almost lead to a PR disaster. Even though that part could be true, veteran analyst Colin Cowherd believes it is time to rethink the matter.

The NBA is on notice. Shorten the playoffs. The NBA is faster, there is way more moving. Players are just moving more, it’s twitchier. An Achilles tear used to be what old guys did at 58 playing handball. It wasn’t for 20-year-olds. That tells you everything.

Colin Cowherd said on The Herd

The 61-year-old analyst reiterated that the Achilles tear, something that undermined Game 7 after Tyrese Haliburton suffered one, is due to wear and tear. Cowherd wants the league to understand that these young players are suffering injuries usually meant for older players.

Considering the amount of money that the league earns, Colin Cowherd believes it would not be difficult to reduce the playoffs to 5 games a series. That way, some of their best can stay on until the end and give fans the entertainment they want.

Former player asks Adam Silver to act before it’s too late

When Tyrese Haliburton went down after tearing his Achilles tendon, he happened to be the 8th to do so this season. He is also the 3rd in this postseason alone. Watching all this transpire, former player Jay Williams wrote this on X.

Tyrese Haliburton was the 3rd player in the postseason to suffer an Achilles tendon tear
Tyrese Haliburton was the 3rd player in the postseason to suffer an Achilles tendon tear (Image via WHTR/X)

8 torn Achilles this season. Tyrese Haliburton is the latest. The NBA is playing at its fastest pace since the early ‘70s — 108.9 possessions per game. We’re chasing tempo, highlights, and algorithms… but at what cost? The product is faster. But the bodies are breaking — and no one’s pumping the brakes.

Jay Williams wrote

The former 2nd overall pick believes Adam Silver and the league should take this matter seriously. Numerous injuries have occurred in these playoffs, and all of them have had a significant impact on both their respective teams, as well as the league. Williams wants them to stop this trend before it is too late.

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