Checkout the latest 1985-86 NBA Season Summary including Shooting Stats, Advanced Stats, Conference and Division Standings, Awards, Leagues and more on Basketball-Reference.com
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Checkout the latest 2025-26 NBA Season Summary including Shooting Stats, Advanced Stats, Conference and Division Standings, Awards, Leagues and more on Basketball-Reference.com
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You can actually look this up ,the pace was definitely higher 40 years ago
So shooting 3’s is why everyone has calf strains and injured all the time now
"Estimated number of possessions" without telling you how they estimated it is about as bad a way to try and determine what "pace" is as it gets.
You look at any stats for dribbles and it shows you players dribble more now than ever.
You look at any stat for distance it shows you that players cover more distance now than ever because you pretty much have to defend from the rim to a step outside the 3 point line.
Shot attempts per game on average are way up from 40 years ago. From what you posted only two teams shot the ball 90 times a game in the 85 season but in the 2025 season 9 teams shot at least that many. Damn near a 3rd of the league getting up as many shots as the two teams who shot the most in the 85 season. How are these current teams getting up more shots on a game to game basis if the teams from 40 years ago have a faster pace?
So you think that players can dribble more than ever, cover more ground than ever, shoot the ball more on a game to game basis than ever, but the pace can be faster 40 years ago?
And yeah shooting 3's has a ton to do with calf injuries, cause players are leaping out to defend them. If I told you to find me 20 clips of shaq defending a 3 pointer in his entire career I bet you couldn't. If I told you to find me 20 clips of Giannis defending a 3 pointer you probably could in 2 or 3 games. Who you think is going to start having leg injuries faster, the giant 7 foot guy who never jumps out full extension to defend a shot or the giant 7 foot guy who jumps out full extension to defend a shot multiple times a game? Do you think it's possible to dribble more than ever move around the court more than ever and shoot the ball more than ever WITHOUT also getting injured more than ever

. Players are going to do all the things you can do on a basketball court more than they ever have but they NOT going to also get hurt more than they ever have?
You guys got to stop being like "misc cac number 15 posted a stat that says it was faster in the 80's so it's faster" without saying to yourself wait what
You start factoring in shyt like play in games, 1st round being 7 games, and more overtime games, players are now even playing more minutes of basketball than ever before on top of everything else
