The regular season is about teams fighting for optimal seeding for the NBA playoffs, but there are other narratives involved too. Individual awards and honors make up a large part of players’ legacies, and as such, they are often debated throughout the season. Another hot topic this year has been load management, with stars sitting out often, and as part of the newly agreed CBA, the NBA has dealt with both things.
“In an attempt to curb load management and lost games among star players, the NBA is tying eligibility for postseason awards, such as All-NBA teams and MVP, to a mandatory 65 games played,” Adrian Wojnarowski reported for ESPN. “The 65-game minimum does come with some conditions.”
Joel Embiid‘s MVP case over the last few seasons has been put down thanks to this issue, with games missed being a big problem. But there’s not been a hard disqualifier, something that the new collective bargaining agreement looks set to introduce starting next season.
This is something many of the NBA’s biggest stars have to consider, the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving have all been criticized for not playing enough. Now, if they don’t, this will directly impact their legacies as it will limit the number of individual honors they can retire with.
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The one concern for the NBA and its stars will be that players who pick up genuine injuries during a season will be affected adversely by this. For example, LeBron James will have played under 60 games this season. Even Luka Doncic, who has been an MVP candidate all season, will barely clear the 65-game mark. He’s not even someone that is known for too much load management. It would be a shame if this rule ended up costing deserving players their honors.
At the same time, it’s become obvious how bad load management is for the NBA in the regular season. Many have criticized players for sitting out this season, and this will certainly motivate them to play more. Hopefully, though, it doesn’t end with NBA players simply getting over the idea of winning individual honors and devaluing the awards themselves. It promises to be an intriguing situation to watch unfold.
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