I know that no NBA owner-management and/or coach will ever implement this, but would it be so unsound and unheard of to have had a player like Yao playing 50 games a regular season and thereby getting him all kinds of rest between games and saving it for the playoffs?
Same with GNob, many others. Foot injuries are chronic in the NBA. To me many times it's cumulative, even if one awkward fall does produce the eventual crack.
Red A was suggesting getting all involved (greedy shoe makers, billionaire owners, multimillionaire players, etc) by putting enough money into a study on foot injuries. Ended up just being talk -no action.
Board Q. Have any of you ever had a foot injury?
Me? Yes. Overdid it on concrete one day. Hairline. Recovered but missed playoffs.