The NBA definitely got this one wrong.
This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Here’s Michael Sykes.
There are a lot of things that bother me about the reported stipulations coming from the NBA’s newly negotiated collective bargaining agreement.
There are some new luxury tax penalties that stop expensive teams from improving on the fringes while also simultaneously allowing teams to get way more expensive, which is another story for another day.
But right now, what really grinds my gears is the 65-game award threshold the league is reportedly adding for end-of-season awards.
The way it works is simple. The NBA is going to require players to play at least 65 games to be eligible for postseason awards like MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA teams.
The purpose is to cut down on load management. The league doesn’t want its biggest names sitting out games they could potentially play, which has been a topic of discussion for over a decade at this point. The league just hasn’t had a solution to it.
Until now, I guess. Their solution is to incentivize players to play by rewarding them with the possibility of making an All-NBA team or winning an award.
And that’s so ridiculous. Kevin Durant proved exactly why to us with this tweet. He responded to a tweet encapsulating his season. He scored 29.1 points while shooting nearly 62% on 2-point shots, 40% on 3-point shots and 92% from the free throw line.
Don’t count. Didn’t play 65 games https://t.co/slaYSpBrpj
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) April 7, 2023
Durant’s sarcastic response was perfect. “Don’t count. Didn’t play 65 games.”
Boom. There it is. That’s why this rule is so silly. Because of his injury struggles this season, Durant is probably going to only play 49 games this season, which is 59.7% of 82 games. You mean to tell me that a player with shooting splits like that can’t be an All-NBA player? Like, he won’t even be able to be considered? Come on, now.
This particularly feels gross when you realize that these league awards are connected to contract incentives. An All-NBA selection makes a difference of about $40 million for Jaylen Brown this offseason, for example. Obviously, the rule doesn’t apply yet. And, even if it did, Brown met the threshold.
But someday, that rule is going to keep someone from making a whole lot of money. And, when that day comes, I’ll be yelling “I told you so!” from the rooftops. Kevin Durant probably will, too.
Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Network
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Enjoy the weekend.
