The NBA has vowed to do something against load management, and it seems like they’ve finally found the perfect formula.
The new CBA states that players should suit up for at least 65 games to be eligible for awards and All-NBA teams, which seems fair considering how out of hand that load management trend has gotten.
Needless to say, that won’t sit well with some injury-prone or aging superstars.
Unsurprisingly, Kevin Durant was one of the first to show his discontent with this new rule, joking on Twitter that his outstanding averages this season shouldn’t count because he didn’t play 65 games.
Don’t count. Didn’t play 65 games https://t.co/slaYSpBrpj
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) April 7, 2023
While Durant is obviously being sarcastic, there should be some truth to that statement.
He’s a first-team All-NBA player when healthy, but he’s played in just 47 games this season, so there’s absolutely no reason why he should be above other guys who were actually on the floor.
Being available is a huge part of the job, and the fans pay a lot of money to be there and watch the best players perform.
Of course, we can also expect players suiting up for just a couple of seconds and then fouling to leave the game just to collect those checks and reach the milestones.
But it’s only fair that those who stay healthy get a bit of an edge over those who don’t, especially if some players are simply refusing to be on the floor on back-to-backs.
Load management is kind of watering the product down, and we just want to see the best facing the best.
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