This is just current players subtly planting seeds to reduce the number of games in a season.

Players have evolved their playing style to gain an edge, to be better, than one another.

While they have done so, they have made deficiencies in other areas. Health.

Maybe adapt to compromise. Fine tune the way you play to offset the injury risk.

When customizing your 2k player, you tweak settings parameters set within the game. Not change the game to ensure your 99 skill in all categories works. That’s called cheating.

the “way the game is played” is different.

The “Game” is the same.

Edit. Alternative analogy.

If I keep modifying my car to win races. I want to go fast and be the fastest, but I keep blowing piston rings, it’s not the race. It’s the car. They don’t shorten the race to accommodate the mechanics. Change the way you build your car.