The All-Durable Team

As I was driving today I was thinking about what could go wrong with the Pacers this year. I'm sure as all of us know is that since we're Indy basketball fans, something needs to go wrong. So I'm thinking..... and my mind just kept coming across one subject, injury. Last year we had it.... the year before we had it, we just can't ever elude it! Maybe Larry needs to get Conseco fumigated for the injury bug, who knows? My mind starts to wander on who could be acquired and I thought to myself that everybody always complains about people who are injured but never gives any love to the players who manage to stay healthy year in and year out. So, I'm shedding away from the usual homer talk to tip my hat to the most durable players in the NBA to date:

PG, Jarrett Jack, Toronto Raptors: This is as close to homer as I get seeing that he's a former Pacer but the stats are pretty hard to argue against. In the last three years he has played in all 246 games with Portland, Indy, and Toronto. In his first 164 games he only missed 6. He also brings a leadership and toughness that seems to be more and more rare as time goes on.

SG, Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers: As hard as it may be to stay healthy in this league, it's twice as hard to do it when a lot of the time you are carrying your team on both ends of the floor. That's what make Iggy's accomplishment of staying on that much more impressive. The man has logged six seasons in the Association and has completed five of them without a hiccup. In 06-07, he missed only six games. 6 games, 6 seasons. That's amazing. Think how many times you've missed work in the last six years because you've just called in sick. Now add on possible injuries because you're throwin' your body at some of the biggest people on the planet night in and night out. I couldn't do it.

SF, Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies: Even though Rudy Gay has never completed a full season in his four year career, he's also never missed more than four a year either. He has yet to miss a long stretch which is hard when you throw your body around as much as he does.

PF, Paul Millsap, Utah Jazz: Another four year player and is the defenition of "lunch-pail worker". He's undersized compared to his counterparts, yet he has completed 322 of his 328 games in the league. He puts in his minutes, shuts up, and does a damn good job at what he does.

C, Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic: The reigning king amongst durability in the league. This guy just gets pummeled every night he's on the floor. Most game plans actually consist of trying to "hack" him to succeed. Yet his six years in the league he has missed...... THREE GAMES! Of all the stupid ways I've seen athletes get hurt this is the one that should be and he has been in 489 of the 492 he's supposed to have been in. That's insane. He really is Superman.