The ‘ Luka Doncic and ‘ Cade Cunningham will be eligible for awards such as MVP and All-NBA this season despite falling short of the , the league and the National Basketball Players Association said Thursday.
Doncic played in 64 games and Cunningham played in 63. But the league and the union both agreed that each should be on the ballot based on the 鈥渆xtraordinary circumstances provision鈥� in the collective bargaining agreement.
Doncic 鈥� who is one of the favorites to contend for MVP honors after winning the league’s scoring title 鈥� missed two games to attend the birth of his daughter in Slovenia. Cunningham missed 12 games as a result of a collapsed lung that was diagnosed on March 17.
鈥淭he NBA and NBPA agreed that, taking into account the totality of the circumstances for Cunningham and Doncic, each player qualified for awards,鈥� the league and the union said in a statement.
Doncic, in a statement posted to social media, said he is 鈥済rateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision,” adding that it was important to him 鈥渢o be present for the birth of my daughter in December.鈥�
鈥淭his season has been so special to me because of what my teammates and I have been able to accomplish, and I am honored to have the opportunity to be considered for the league鈥檚 end-of-season awards,鈥� the statement said.
Minnesota’s , who played in 60 qualified games, also tried to get on the awards ballot through the extraordinary circumstances challenge 鈥� but sought his approval before an independent arbitrator. His challenge was denied.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch 鈥� noting that Edwards doesn’t get held out to rest 鈥� was not pleased about that and said he’d like an explanation.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure why we have a rule if we have an appeal process that is overturned in two-thirds of the cases that were held before,” Finch said. 鈥淔eels more like a suggestion than a rule.鈥�
The statuses of Doncic and Cunningham were a major topic toward the end of the season. San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama 鈥� an MVP candidate and the likely defensive player of the year 鈥� in the Spurs’ next-to-last game, and Denver’s three-time MVP Nikola Jokic became qualified for this year’s awards on the final day of the regular season. Jokic has been first or second in MVP balloting in each of the last five seasons and won the league’s rebounding and assist titles this season.
And the union 鈥� which worked with the league to come up with the 65-game policy 鈥� has said it wants the rule changed, saying it was put into place to address load management and not to keep deserving players from awards. That said, many players have spoken out in favor of the rule.
鈥淚 would say it’s an opportunity for us to reevaluate the rule in itself,鈥� NBPA President Fred VanVleet of the Houston Rockets said.
VanVleet 鈥� speaking in a video posted by the union and filmed ahead of Thursday’s news 鈥� said he thinks voters should be able to make decisions for All-NBA and other awards on a case-by-case basis.
Nuggets coach David Adelman said last week that he hopes the 65-game rule is changed, somehow, this summer. He said if players like Jokic can play 64 games, never wanting to come out, and not be award-eligible, then something is wrong.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not the spirit of what that rule is,鈥� Adelman said.
A number of players will be ineligible for most major individual awards this season because of the 65-game rule, including the Los Angeles Lakers鈥� LeBron James 鈥� whose 21-year streak of making an All-NBA team will end. Milwaukee鈥檚 Giannis Antetokounmpo and Golden State鈥檚 Stephen Curry have also missed too many games to be eligible.
With the decisions on Doncic, Cunningham and Edwards now complete, the NBA sent ballots to the panel of reporters and broadcasters who cover the league on Thursday 鈥� a few days behind the typical schedule from recent years.
It’s unclear when the announcement of award winners will begin.
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