NBA in Meltdown: SGA, Jokic, 168 Players Sit Out Friday

The NBA’s injury report for Friday was absolutely brutal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—the reigning MVP—sat out. Nikola Jokic, a three-time MVP, didn’t play. And 14 members of the Grizzlies were unavailable. In total, at least 168 players league-wide were held out of Friday’s games.

That’s not a typo. One hundred and sixty-eight. The league is dealing with a full-blown health crisis as we push deeper into the season. Back-to-backs, travel, wear-and-tear—it all adds up. Teams are getting smarter about load management, and honestly, you can’t blame them when your All-Stars are dropping like flies.

The Grizzlies situation is especially wild. Fourteen players out? That’s basically half a roster. Memphis is trying to survive a stretch where staying healthy feels impossible. Meanwhile, losing SGA and Jokic in the same night? That’s two of the league’s best players sidelined simultaneously.

This is the reality of modern NBA basketball. The season is long, bodies break down, and teams have to make tough calls about who plays and who rests. Friday’s slate showed just how thin depth charts are running across the league right now.