Luka Doncic is almost certainly going to win the NBA scoring title this season. And it\u2019s now very possible that he doesn\u2019t make the All-NBA team.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s rare, but it might be this season\u2019s reality.<\/p>\n
The roster of award-caliber players who won\u2019t be winning awards this season continues to grow, with Doncic \u2014 the Los Angeles Lakers standout guard and MVP candidate \u2014 now out with a left hamstring injury. Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards is certain to miss the league\u2019s 65-game award eligibility threshold as well after he was held out Thursday because of illness.<\/p>\n
Doncic has played 64 games, so he would fall just short of the mark if his hamstring issue keeps him out for the remainder of the regular season \u2014 which has barely over a week remaining. It\u2019s worth noting that BetMGM Sportsbook, among others, took Doncic off the list of MVP betting options following his injury Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cHealth is wealth. \u2026 We\u2019ll see what happens,\u201d Lakers star LeBron James said.<\/p>\n
Edwards can now only reach a maximum of 64 games as well, so he won\u2019t be on the ballot for most major NBA awards either.<\/p>\n
What is the 65-game rule? <\/p>\n
It was collectively bargained \u2014 meaning the league and the players association agreed on the terms \u2014 and this is the third season of it being part of the NBA rules.<\/p>\n
It applies to player eligibility for five awards \u2014 MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, the All-NBA Team and the All-Defensive Team. Players have to either play in 65 regular-season games (with some minutes-played minimums in there as well), or at least 62 games before suffering a \u201cseason-ending injury.\u201d<\/p>\n
But even if Doncic\u2019s hamstring keeps him out for the rest of the regular season, it wouldn\u2019t be classified as \u201cseason-ending\u201d unless a doctor \u2014 jointly selected by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association \u2014 says he wouldn\u2019t be able to play again through May 31.<\/p>\n
There is a grievance process and even a way to challenge the rule citing extraordinary circumstances, but neither would be easily utilized.<\/p>\n
Who\u2019s out of the award races? <\/p>\n
Five of the league\u2019s six highest-paid players this season \u2014 Golden State\u2019s Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia\u2019s Joel Embiid, Milwaukee\u2019s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Boston\u2019s Jayson Tatum \u2014 aren\u2019t eligible for awards. Denver\u2019s Nikola Jokic is the exception on the highest-paid list, and he\u2019d likely be ineligible if he misses another game as well.<\/p>\n
There were 23 players on the list of those winning MVP, MIP, DPOY, All-NBA and All-Defense last season. Of those, at least 10 are out of the running for honors this season: Antetokounmpo, Curry, Edwards, James, Tatum, Detroit\u2019s Cade Cunningham, Indiana teammates Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac, Utah\u2019s Jaren Jackson Jr. and Oklahoma City\u2019s Jalen Williams.<\/p>\n
Another four award winners from a year ago \u2014 Jokic, Oklahoma City\u2019s Lu Dort, Golden State\u2019s Draymond Green and Cleveland\u2019s Evan Mobley \u2014 aren\u2019t at 65 games yet this season but, for now anyway, seem on pace to get there.<\/p>\n
Will the rule be changed? <\/p>\n
Never say never. The union wants changes to the policy, and it\u2019s certain to come up in their conversations with the league office. But many players \u2014 and even Andre Iguodala, now the head of the players\u2019 association \u2014 have said in recent years that the 65-game rule is a good thing.<\/p>\n
The league doesn\u2019t seem inclined to make a change based solely on what would appear to be an extraordinary number of award candidates not hitting the threshold in one year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it is working,\u201d NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said last month. \u201cI 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% of the games. That was a huge issue for the league.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scoring champion \u2026 but not All-NBA? <\/p>\n
As we said, it\u2019s rare, but it has happened. Twice, to be exact.<\/p>\n
\u2014 1968-69: Elvin Hayes won the scoring title as a rookie, then wasn\u2019t even All-NBA \u2014 and didn\u2019t win Rookie of the Year, either.<\/p>\n
\u2014 1975-76: Bob McAdoo won his third consecutive scoring title and was second in the MVP race \u2014 but didn\u2019t make All-NBA. Players voted for MVP in those days, and McAdoo was an extremely close second behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Dave Cowens was third in the MVP vote but got the second-team All-NBA nod at center, with Abdul-Jabbar the first-team pick.<\/p>\n
Doncic could join that list. He was scheduled for an MRI on Friday to determine the extent of his hamstring injury. It\u2019s not mathematically certain yet that he wins the scoring title, but it would take something extraordinary for it not to happen.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s averaging 33.5 points per game, with Gilgeous-Alexander at 31.6 per game. For Gilgeous-Alexander \u2014 last season\u2019s scoring champion \u2014 to overtake Doncic, he would need to go on an unbelievable run. An example: He\u2019d need to score 292 points over the final five games to take over the top spot, and nobody other than Wilt Chamberlain has had a five-game run like that.<\/p>\n
Of the previous 79 scoring champions, 64 were first-team All-NBA and 13 were second-team.<\/p>\n
Jokic is going to win the league\u2019s rebounding and assist titles, while averaging a triple-double yet again. But he\u2019s also not assured yet of being on the award ballots.<\/p>\n
Why can some players win statistical titles but not win All-NBA?
The thresholds are different.<\/p>\n
While the award mandate is 65 games in most cases, players are eligible for most statistical awards if they play in 58 games (or 70% of the season). There are different standards for some stat awards, such as field-goal percentage (minimum 300 made), free-throw percentage (minimum 125 made) and 3-point percentage (minimum 82 made).<\/p>\n
A player can win a stat award while appearing in less than 58 games.<\/p>\n
For example, last season, San Antonio\u2019s Victor Wembanyama played only 46 games but still won the blocked shot title. Even if he played in the minimum 58 games and recorded no blocks in the 12 games needed to reach that number he still would have been ahead of the runner-up, Utah\u2019s Walker Kessler.<\/p>\n
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