Not only does the NBA play at a faster pace in the current era than they did 15 to 30 years ago, but players are also far younger on average with fewer veterans remaining in the league into their thirties.
"Look at this league, it's a young man's league," said Tom Haberstroh on the Basketball Illuminati podcast. "We don't realize it until we put the numbers on it. Here are the types of players that played in the late nineties era. In 1995, 27 percent of the players were 30 or older. They were in their thirties.
"That kept going up in every season after that. 29 percent. 31 percent. 32 percent in 1997. Up again to 33 percent. 34 percent [in 2000], peaking in 2001 when 35 percent were in their thirties. One out of every three players on the floor.
"That was the 'glory years.' Peak Michael Jordan, late nineties era. They were really old.
"These days it's a young man's game. It's more Houston Rockets than it is Damian Lillard and LeBron James. These days there aren't as many vets hanging around. Just 20 percent of NBA players are in their thirties.
"Last year it was at 18 percent. We're a little bit higher than we were last year. That's still half as many 30-year-old as we were in the peak nineties."
While the number of games missed for injury or rest, particularly in older players, may be higher but that very well may be due to their efforts to keep up with a game that is faster in pace and younger in general.