A collapsed lung could keep Pistons guard Cade Cunningham from reaching the 65-game threshold to be eligible for NBA awards.
A collapsed lung could keep Pistons guard Cade Cunningham from reaching the 65-game threshold to be eligible for NBA awards.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
When it became apparent that Pistons star and MVP candidate Cade Cunningham was unlikely to reach the 65-games-played minimum to be eligible for NBA awards, the National Basketball Players Association released a statement speaking against the participation rule.
Remember, the NBPA approved the regulation after the league suggested the minimum-games rule to prevent rampant load management.
Cunningham, who has played 61 games, has spearheaded the Pistons’ resurrection but he has been sidelined with a collapsed lung that could cost him the rest of the regular season. If he does not return, Cunningham will not be on any NBA ballots, including for MVP or All-NBA.
Such a situation elicited this reaction from the NBPA: “Cade Cunningham’s potential ineligibility for postseason awards after a career-defining season is a clear indictment of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries. Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.”
The NBA felt it had no choice but to implement the game mandate because load management had gotten out of control, with players having to feel repercussions for sitting out games. Sixty-five games is 79 percent of the season, which seems like a reasonable number. But perhaps there could be a clause for players who suffer season-ending injuries late in the regular season.
Celtics forward Jaylen Brown suggested on his Twitch stream that the minimum could be lowered to 61 or 62 games but he was “good” with 65. Considering Cunningham’s breakout season and the Pistons’ success, there is a push to reward him with honors. But commissioner Adam Silver isn’t so convinced that the rule needs to be adjusted.
“In fairness to the Players Association, I would never say there’s something we’re not willing to talk to them about. I mean, things come up all the time on both sides,” Silver said. “I would only say take a step back. It’s only the third year now that the 65-game rule has been put in effect. A few years ago when I was standing in front of all of you, you weren’t asking me about tanking, you were asking me about load management. You were saying, what in the world are you going to do about the fact that star players aren’t playing enough games?”
Silver’s stance is understandable. There was an outcry to encourage star players to play in more games, and perhaps a minimum requirement would encourage players to get over their knee soreness or back spasms to play ball. There also are financial ties to these awards, making them more important than just a trophy. Cunningham, if he makes the All-NBA team, is eligible for a super-max contract.
“We always knew when there’s a line you draw that somebody’s going to fall on the other side of that line,” Silver said. “It may feel unfair in that particular instance. Let’s see what happens at the end of this year. By the way, Cade Cunningham, he’s an incredible player and I’m sorry that he’s injured. Having said that, we also have to remember to the extent that one player is no longer eligible, some other player will then be All-NBA and will slot into that spot.”
Making a change to the 65-game rule will require negotiation and more cases than just Cunningham because it has pushed players to play in more games. The league and players did not consider cases such as for Cunningham, who suffered a collapsed lung chasing a loose ball. It was designed more for players such as Kawhi Leonard or Joel Embiid, who have histories of sitting out games for rest or to treat injuries they could play with.
Adam Silver has been NBA commissioner since February 2014, when he succeeded David Stern.
Adam Silver has been NBA commissioner since February 2014, when he succeeded David Stern.Jim Davis/Globe Staff
“I’m not ready standing here to say I don’t think it’s working,” Silver said. “I think it is working. I think if you look at the numbers, the pre-implementation of this rule, numbers were going in the wrong direction. I may have this a little bit off, I think the three years before we adopted this rule, almost a third of the All-NBA players had not played 80 percent of the games. That was a huge issue for the league. In the same way we’re addressing tanking now, people said, ‘What are you going to do about that?’
“There was a general agreement between us and the Players Association that we needed to do something about that.
“I generally think it’s worked. That along with the player participation policy, there is not nearly as much discussion about load management as there was, in part because the teams and players have responded. You see them on the floor now.”
Silver made the highly expected announcement that the league will pursue potential expansion with Las Vegas and Seattle, rumored to be in the works for months. Seattle hasn’t had a team since 2008, when the city botched the opportunity to keep the SuperSonics and eventually settled with the Oklahoma City-based owners for $45 million so the franchise could relocate with two years left on the Seattle lease.
Since the Sonics departed, the NBA has had a growing desire to return and now with a refurbished arena, a booming economy, and an team, Seattle is prepared for the Sonics’ return. The NBA has flirted with Las Vegas for years but was hesitant until the Aces, Raiders, and Golden Knights moved there and flourished with no glitches, although there are still minor concerns about gambling.
“I will say in a way we’re in a good situation because there are some owners who felt that we just frankly don’t need to expand,” Silver said. “They didn’t necessarily see concern with going forward. They felt we were in a very solid place with the 30-team league we have now. I think Seattle and Las Vegas, in terms of their history and support of NBA basketball, are unique in terms of available markets in the US right now. No knock on any other markets. Those are just the markets we’re focused on.”
One thing that encouraged concerned owners to pursue expansion was the potential $14 billion to $20 billion combined the league will garner from prospective owners. That pot will be split amongst current owners, and there was no way the league was moving forward with 32 teams without financial benefits for owners who feel they are paying an exorbitant amount in player salaries.
Silver treaded this relocation issue carefully and still did not commit to two new teams, only the exploration of new teams. If Seattle and Las Vegas are welcomed, the Pelicans, Grizzlies, or Timberwolves would likely move to the Eastern Conference.
“We’re exploring expanding, meaning there’s the economic implications of what the value of that franchise, or franchises, ultimately determined by the market,” Silver said. “Then the league has to make an assessment whether it’s then worth it to go forward at those valuations. I think they care a lot about who their potential partner or partners might be. Then particular situations in each market, like what arena would we play in, what are plans, are people looking at other arenas. All of those are part of the consideration set.
“But certainly it was my view and others that we owe it to this market to be more transparent and formal with our approach to that so everybody feels they have a fair shot.”
Jalen Williams (left) played 24 minutes in the Thunder's loss to the Celtics on Wednesday, his second game back after missing 16.
Jalen Williams (left) played 24 minutes in the Thunder's loss to the Celtics on Wednesday, his second game back after missing 16.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
WORKING HIS WAY BACK
Williams a key piece for Thunder
Jalen Williams has been limited to 28 games this season because of hamstring injuries and he’s just returning to the Oklahoma City lineup for the stretch run and the playoffs. He returned to the lineup March 23 against the 76ers and dropped in 18 points. Two nights later, he looked like a player who had been out for six weeks, scoring 7 points on 2-for-9 shooting against the Celtics.
Williams was able to catch up with Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who is making the stunning return from Achilles surgery after 10 months.
“I mean it’s special, first off hopefully he stays completely healthy throughout the whole rest of the season,” Williams said of Tatum. “So it’s dope to see him like come back and be able to play. He’s not like all the way there yet and I’m pretty sure he’d probably agree to that but he’s pretty impressive to have that injury and the way he’s moving and the way he’s still able to get a shot off and move around is good to see. When you have somebody of that caliber player, you want to see them on the court. It’s dope that he gets to do that. But yeah, he looked very good.”
Williams played 24 minutes against the Celtics and that number will only increase as the playoffs approach. He said it’s difficult to deal with playing-time limitations, but it’s something he will have to accept. Williams only adds to the Thunder’s impressive depth but his true impact may not come for a few more games.
“Playing on that minute restriction was hard,” he said. “I was talking to [Tatum] a little bit after the game. It’s hard when there’s no flow. I’ve never checked into games and I’m not sweating at all. So trying to figure that out is a little learning curve a little bit. But a lot of players can tell you like when you’re used to playing 35 minutes a game and then you take 10 away from that or 12 from that and your game gets a little more choppy. It’s just harder to like find a rhythm throughout the game, especially when your team is really good. So I’m going to continue to figure out but I have a good amount of games enough to figure it out.”
Williams was a key component to the Thunder’s first championship since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008. He joined Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to lift the franchise to new heights. But he dealt with a wrist injury last season and then two hamstring strains that have turned this season into mostly a rehab period.
“I feel great,” Williams said. “It’s a good feeling to know that I got through another game and I played more minutes than I did when I got hurt the second time. It just keeps stacking. I’ve been grateful to be out there again. Basketball got taken away from me a lot this year, so it’s cool to be out there and just get over small hurdles that I don’t think people really know unless you’re playing. Just to be out there and move around and leave a game healthy is nice.”
The good news for the Thunder is they had enough support to race to the league’s best record without a healthy Williams. Players such as Isaiah Joe, Ajay Mitchell, and Cason Wallace have had breakthrough seasons to keep the Thunder dominant. Now with Williams back, they are the favorites to return to the NBA Finals, perhaps a matchup with the Celtics.
“Just mentally, when you pull your hamstring, you have the same injury twice, it’s like a mental obstacle of getting back to doing moves as explosive as you want,” Williams said. “Our team’s so good it’s just very, it’s a very different role to be in when you’re on minute restriction because you don’t want to mess up the flow of the game and we have other guys that are trying to get back as well, so you know everybody’s kind of like moving these pieces in the last 10 games.”
The Thunder are not guaranteed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. They entered Friday just two games up on the Spurs and the Spurs hold the tiebreaker by virtue of winning the season series. And the schedule is challenging with the Knicks, Pistons, and then a season-ending stretch with the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets and Suns.
“I don’t really focus on what other people are doing if I’m being 100. I know what the standings are,” Williams said. “I think for me personally it’s how much better can I get back to myself in this and how much faster can I get back to normal and feeling really confident playing out there before we have to really win games? That’s a big one for me, but it’s also a luxury. That’s what people want to see. We want to be in these games where winning really matters right now in order to get home-court advantage for the playoffs. There is some of that, but it’s not San Antonio-based. It’s more like we’re trying to see how many wins we can get as well. That makes it fun, it makes it cool, and that’s why it’s the Wild Wild West.”
Ja Morant is the latest player to be declared out for the rest of the season by the Grizzlies.
Ja Morant is the latest player to be declared out for the rest of the season by the Grizzlies.Brandon Dill/Associated Press
Layups
Not that the Grizzlies wanted him to come back this season, but the club announced point guard Ja Morant will miss the rest of the season with a UCL sprain in his left elbow. The Grizzlies are in tank mode and have several players sidelined because of injury, including Scotty Pippen Jr., Zach Edey, and Brandon Clarke. Morant has two more years on his contract at approximately $87 million and he could be offered in a trade this summer as the Grizzlies look to rebuild. They already traded cornerstones Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. and could go with a complete reboot if they find a taker for Morant … The Warriors are limping to the finish line with Stephen Curry still out with knee soreness and Moses Moody recently tearing his patellar tendon in an overtime win over the Mavericks. Moody, a key bench contributor, will undergo surgery this week and could miss part of next 2026-27. The Warriors are already missing Jimmy Butler with a torn ACL while Seth Curry has been limited to four games with various injuries. The Warriors have dropped to 10th in the Western Conference and are close to clinching a play-in spot as they are 10½ games ahead of the Grizzlies for that final slot. The Trail Blazers are battling the Clippers for the eighth spot and the teams meet twice in the final two weeks of the season … The 76ers, who gotPaul George back Wednesday, could soon get Joel Embiid to return after missing 18 of the past 20 games with an oblique strain. Tyrese Maxey could also return from a hand injury by the end of the regular season, making Philadelphia an intriguing team. The 76ers have slipped to seventh in the Eastern Conference and are currently in position for a play-in home game with the Magic. That winner would face the No. 2 seed in the East, which could be the Celtics. Entering Friday, two games separated the fifth and 10th seeds in the East, with Detroit, New York, Boston, and Cleveland likely to be the top four seeds in yet-to-be determined order.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.