Injury. It's every athlete's worst nightmare. Well, right after being forced into taking a paycut. But that doesn't change the fact that being forced to sit on the sidelines is something they try to avoid at all costs. It's no fun to be a spectator when the thing you do best is play the game. It's even harder to stay positive while watching your team succeed without you. Because there's a high likelihood that someone else has just taken your job. Injuries often tip the balance of power. They may do something as simple as ruining your chance at the roto-league championship, or they can cripple a team's entire season. I'd venture to say that over 95% of the time, injuries are something a team wants to avoid at all costs. There's always the miracle injury like Drew Bledsoe's that allows a team to find a hidden gem like Tom Brady. But those stories are few and far between. Championships are rarely won because a teammate loses half the blood in his body.
So far, I've said nothing that even the most casual of sports fans didn't already know. It's common knowledge that the last thing a team wants is a lengthy injury list. But after watching the Patriots' and Timberwolves' seasons I've discovered something - It can be very important to be injured. There are certain situations in which injuries can turn your good season into a championship-caliber one. It's not something that's common, or something that a team can even plan. But in the past few months, it's a formula that I've seen work wonders twice. So how does a team manage to take a case of plantar fasciitis, a sprained ankle, and knee surgery and turn it into a run for the title? We'll here are the things you need:
1. You have to be a good team...
If you're not in contention healthy, you probably aren't going to be a contender when you're injured. That's just the way it goes.
2. You can't lose your star player...
If the T-Wolves lose Kevin Garnett, or the Patriots lose Tom Brady, then all bets are off. Not only do you need that high level of talent playing for you when you lose a bunch of players, you need their leadership on the court for the backups.
3. You need depth...
If you're replacing a starter with some guy off the streets, you're probably in trouble. The key is having competent individuals ready to step up and take on the newly available minutes.
4. You need your injured players to return...
The guys that are out have to come back. Otherwise you just lost talent and depth on your bench with the injury.
Well the Pats and T-Wolves managed to nail all four of those requirements on the head, and now they're reaping the benefits. So how do these four things manage to come together and help form a quality team? Well, time is the first key. The first four weeks of the Patriots season were very shaky at best. In all honesty, I had almost written the season off. That was a huge mistake on my part, because all the backups needed was a little adjustment period to get used to their new roles. And twelve weeks later, we haven't lost a game yet. It was the same deal with the Timberwolves. With Wally, Hudson, and Olowokandi out, it seemed like everyone was just waiting around for them to get back before starting to play quality basketball. The team hadn't gelled yet, and looked content to use injuries as an excuse for their underachievements. But as the four weeks until their return became six weeks, and then turned into Thanksgiving, which turned into Christmas, which has now turned into the All-Star break, the healthy players realized that they couldn't wait around for a full squad to start playing the way they had to. The result was a jump from last place in the division to first and winning eight of nine to date.
The barrage of injuries that the Patriots endured forced them to start 42 different players this season. That's 42 members of the team that have been given the opportunity to gain in-game experience. The reserves have had to step up, and bolstered by the quality play of their healthy teammates, they've managed to succeed. If the Patriots hadn't been so injured, they would never have known how valuable players like Asante Samuel and Bethel Johnson could be. And now that most of the starters have returned, the Patriots have an even deeper, more talented team. The Timberwolves discovered that Trenton Hassell is a lock-down defender who has shut down all-stars like Dirk Nowitzki. They've seen Gary Trent take his game to the next level. And they've uncovered a valuable asset in Oliver Miller. The team is playing as good as it ever has, and I can only imagine what will happen when Wally, T-Hud, and the Kandiman all come back at full strength.
The Patriots are one game away from having the road to the Super Bowl go through Foxboro. With a victory on Saturday, they would be a franchise record 14-2 and enter the playoffs on a 12 game winning streak. Not to mention, they've gone 7-0 against teams with winning records and have played what just might be the most amazing regular season in NFL history. I know they're no '72 Dolphins, but did Schula's crew have so many jaw-dropping victories? The Timberwolves season is far from over, but as long as the starters manage to return there's nothing to indicate the Wolves won't at least end their seven year first round exit streak. And most likely, they'll go a lot further. So I guess it's true that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And that's why injuries are important.
