This year, the NBA implemented new rule changes around the qualifications for MVP, DPOY, and all post-season awards. To be eligible to win, players must be active in at least 65 games during the season, which accounts for roughly 80% of the schedule. Despite growing backlash from the players, NBA Vice President Joe Dumars recently doubled down on the new rule and said that players have to train their body to play all 82.
“You have to train your body to play 82 games. And it takes rigorous training,” said Dumars. “But it’s a privilege to play in the NBA, man, not everybody can do it. But I think this is the right thing to do. It’s the right thing for everybody involved. This was not some arbitrary rule that the NBA put in, this was negotiated with the Players Association. This was the owners, this was the competition committee. Everybody signed off on this. All the stakeholders in the NBA signed off and said [65 games] is a fair number.”
Several players have already spoken out against the 65-game rule, including Tyrese Haliburton, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, and Draymond Green and there will likely be more players who fight back against it over the next few weeks and months. Unfortunately for them, however, the rule is already set in stone as part of the new CBA, and players don’t have a choice but to accept it and move on.
Multiple NBA Stars Are Disqualified From Awards
The magic number for earning NBA post-season awards is 18 games. This is the amount players are allowed to miss in a season before they get disqualified from award ballots, and several notable NBA stars have already crossed that threshold. Kyrie Irving, Evan Mobley, and LaMelo Ball have each missed 18 or more games this season and they’ve already lost their chance for any awards in the spring. But with half of the season still left to play, there are more players who are likely to lose their eligibility.
76ers star Joel Embiid has already missed 12 games this season and he’s almost sure to miss six more after the latest injury news gave a grim update on his timetable to return. As the current frontrunner for MVP, this could be a huge loss for the 76ers star. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is also at risk since he has missed 13 games this season, along with Heat star Jimmy Butler. This season, we are really seeing how hard it is for some players to keep up with an 80% attendance rate and it’s sparking a lot of conversations about how guys can better prepare their bodies to survive the length of a season.
NBA Says Load Management Is Ineffective
The 65-game rule is no doubt a direct response to the growing “load management” movement, which has brought the attendance of players and stars to an all-time low. Following years of questionable skips and careless absences from the games, the league has finally taken a stance against the tradition by implementing these changes and sending a memo out to the GMs. Clearly, the NBA doesn’t believe that load management works but it remains to be seen if they can eradicate the practice for good.
At the very least, the 65-game minimum will ensure that only those who are showing up to play every day will be recognized for award honors and it’s the best move yet to encourage full participation from every player. It’s an aggressive approach, for sure, but also one that the NBA feels is necessary to combat one of the fastest-growing trends in the league.
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