Kerr: We need to reduce the number of regular season games by 10, which would greatly benefit the league.
2026-03-11 04:22
On the evening of March 9th local time, the Golden State Warriors traveled to Utah to challenge the Utah Jazz. Before the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr once again publicly called for the NBA to reduce the number of regular season games.
Affected by the absence of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford, Moses Moody, and Kristaps Porzingis, the depleted Warriors ultimately lost to the Jazz 116-119, suffering their second consecutive defeat. They currently sit ninth in the Western Conference with a 32-32 record, facing the risk of missing the playoffs.
Seeing the Warriors mired in injuries, Kerr made no secret of his position in an interview: "I know this view is unpopular in the league office, but I'm going to continue saying it because the facts are obvious. We need to reduce the number of games. We need to reduce the number of games in the schedule by 10. I think this would be very beneficial for the league."
He continued, "I understand that this involves revenue. You have to convince people to accept earning less money, which is difficult. But based on my understanding of the league and coaching, in the current high-intensity game pace and spacing environment, I believe that shortening the schedule will make the league more competitive and also better for player health."
This is not the first time Kerr has raised similar concerns. He has previously pointed out that the combined pressure of an 82-game regular season schedule and frequent travel is having a negative impact on the league and its players.
Kerr's concerns are not unfounded. ESPN research data shows that the team's scoring average this season has soared to 115.2 points per game, the highest peak since the 1969/70 season. This scoring increase is often closely related to the pace of the game, and this year's pace has also broken historical records. Meanwhile, players are averaging 37.1 miles per game and 4.29 mph this season, setting new highs since player tracking data was introduced in the 2013/14 season.
Image source: Internet
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