This season is bearing witness to multiple changes in the technical formats of the game and one of the major changes is the league’s new eligibility requirement for a player to win individual awards which play a huge part in defining a player’s legacy.
Indiana Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton expressed his concerns regarding the new rule which forced players to show up to games despite their injury and fitness levels.
Haliburton’s perspective on player recognition
Tyrese Haliburton, without a doubt has one of the largest NBA contracts ever given to a player of his age. However, there is a chance that the player might not be able to receive the full amount due to eligibility criteria that will ‘hamstring’ the player who has already missed out on a couple of games due to issues with his hamstring.
The eligibility criteria were set with the intention of inspiring a competitive environment within the league, which stemmed from the issue that stars missed out on games citing load management as the reason.
However, the new eligibility rule mandates that a player must play or appear in a minimum of 65 games if he has to be considered for the NBA’s awards. That being said, it is confirmed that the reigning MVP Joel Embiid will not get a chance to compete for the individual title, this year despite his dynamic performances for the 76ers.
Tyrese Haliburton expressed his concerns and opinions on the new rule to former professional JJ Reddick, calling the consequences of the rule “f—— terrible.” Haliburton said, “I’ve had a minutes restriction now, for like two weeks and it started at 20 and its ramped and its f—— terrible.”
Haliburton, however, also took the time to understand the league’s perspective of implementing the rule. “I understand where the league is coming from. Listen, at the end of the day, I’m a fan of basketball like everybody is. We want the best players to play,” Haliburton added.
The star suggested that players were forced to play if they wanted to reach individual goals for getting incentives based on their achievements. Haliburton’s concerns comes while his own contractual incentives with the Pacers are at stake.
Financial ramifications: Haliburton’s bonus incentive at stake
Tyrese Haliburton is having an impeccable season so far and has already achieved his goal of being an All-Star. While the player is having an All-NBA worthy season, the player may miss out on the opportunity to make the team due to the games he has missed.
With the strict regulations in place which imply that a player must appear in a minimum of 20 minutes across 65 games, Tyrese Haliburton is allowed to miss only three more games before he will be removed from consideration. While the consequences of this aren’t going to take a hit on the player’s career history, it will make a significant dent in his career earnings.
If Haliburton makes the All-NBA team, he will be in a position to receive 30% of the team’s salary cap which equates to 41 million USD, a substantial amount to his already magnanimous contract. Therefore, Tyrese Haliburton will be on a mission to not miss any further games this season.
What are your thoughts on the NBA’s eligibility criteria? Is it feasible in the long run due to it forcing players to recover without the apt time period? We are eager to know your thoughts and opinions on the league’s policy, so feel free to comment below.
