As a really close follower of the NBA, I can say they have been starting to show real concern with not wearing out their players, and they have incentive to tak

As a really close follower of the NBA, I can say they have been starting to show real concern with not wearing out their players, and they have incentive to take it even further. They haven't decreased the overall number of games, but they have been working really hard to minimize the number of back-to-back games, I think every team has had a decrease in back-to-backs each of the last 4 consecutive years. They also lengthened the calendar to more easily avoid scheduling games on consecutive nights. A recent trend is "load management" where superstar players like Lebron James, Kawhi Leonard, and the Warriors, will sit out a large portion of regular-season games. The thinking is that if their teams are good enough to get to the playoffs without them playing all 82 games, so why risk an injury to your $200 million dollar player for a meaningless game instead of saving their energy for the playoffs? This makes fans really mad because they pay for tickets to see the star players. Players I'm sure appreciate that it reduces mileage on their bodies and lets them stay fresh and avoid injuries.