The Joel Embiid calendar
Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell, and other NBA superstars are now ineligible for MVP
NBAThursday, 14 March 2024 at 10:00
The 2023-24 season is the first time that the NBA has enacted a rule requiring that any player wishing to win end-of-season awards like MVP, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year, participate in at least 65 regular season games.
The rule was created as a way for the NBA to limit load management, the act of sitting perfectly healthy players on the bench as a way to keep them rested for the lengthy season. And while it has minimized load management, it has also eliminated some of the biggest names in the game from winning coveted prizes.
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This change has already sent huge shockwaves through the league because multiple stars are now out of the running.
The list of those intelligible to win is long and only growing. Sitting at the top is Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, who was the clear frontrunner for Most Valuable Player before a knee injury caused him to fall below the 65-game threshold. But he's not alone.
The other players who can't win MVP:
Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat)
Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
OG Anunoby (New York Knicks)
Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Kristaps Porzingis (Boston Celtics)
Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks)
Bradley Beal (Phoenix Suns)
Other players, such as Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Booker, Trae Young, and Karl-Anthony Towns, are on the verge of being eliminated from contention as well.
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This shows that the rule is definitely having an impact on players. But is it too big of an impact? Some players have said this new rule is over-the-top and hurting NBA stars more than it should. It is preventing anyone, even those not practicing load management, from missing out on these top prize. They say that isn't fair.
Still, it is unlikely that the NBA will change this rule, even with the pushback from players.
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