Top 3 Reasons Why Injuries Aren’t Always a Bad Thing

It’s okay Kevin Durant! Unfortunately, you’re not alone. The beginning of the 2014-2015 NBA season is going to look completely different than anyone expected. Former All-Stars Paul George, Rajon Rondo, Brook Lopez (again), Deron Williams, David West, Anthony Davis, Kevin Love, Joakim Noah, and the reigning MVP all show up on CBS Sports’ injury report. But maybe there is some good that can come out of all this. Here are the top three reasons why injuries aren’t always a bad thing:

 

#1) Time to See How Good Your Number Two Option Really is.

When your superstar is hurt, it can be a devastating blow to the locker room, players might feel hopeless about the future of the team. From a coaching and management standpoint, you hope the next best player on your roster, like a Russell Westbrook (left) or a Roy Hibbert (Right), step up and fill that void in a major way. In Westbrook’s case, there is a sense that he has been waiting for this moment for a long time, so there is a great deal of pressure on him to carry the Oklahoma City Thunder through the beginning month or so of the season. As for Hibbert, his underwhelming play when the pressure has previously been on him has caused the exact opposite expectations for his team, the Indiana Pacers. Both players will have the spotlight on them when the season starts in about a week, so we will all get to see how good they are as leaders of their respective teams.

#2) Time for Players Coming Back From Injury to Reinvent Themselves

Sorry Laker fans, but I don’t see Kobe Bryant (left) doing many of these this upcoming season. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be the dominant Kobe of old. Instead he, and other returning stars like Bulls Point Guard and 2011 MVP Derrick Rose (right), will most likely be different versions of the players they used to be. Kobe will likely be doing most of his scoring from the low post and Rose will probably see his assist numbers increase as he may look to be more of a distributor. It will be interesting to see what these two superstars do heading into this coming season and how different they will truly be.

#3) Injured Players Can Take a Step Back from The Game and Learn How to Improve Mentally

For Paul George (left) and Kevin Durant (right), their isn’t a whole lot more for them to accomplish than winning that elusive championship that all NBA players desperately crave. Now that they have to take time off their feet (George with a broken tibia and fibula and Durant with a broken foot), there’s time for them to do some studying. They can look at the greats from generations’ past and see how they made it to the top, look at old footage of themselves and figure out new ways to improve they maybe hadn’t thought of before, or they can watch their main competition (like a LeBron James) and analyze their game to exploit their weakness when they make their way back to the hardwood.