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‘Stupid’ rule could cost Tyrese Haliburton money and Joel Embiid MVP; LeBron’s ‘ominous’ Lakers warning
‘Stupid’ rule could cost Tyrese Haliburton money and Joel Embiid MVP; LeBron’s ‘ominous’ Lakers warning
While the upcoming trade deadline is the primary focus in the NBA right now, there are a few debates bubbling away in the background — from new rules impacting the MVP race to whether the league needs to do anything to address a sudden surge in scoring.
Plus, just when it looked like things were starting to move in an upwards trajectory for LeBron James and the Lakers there has been more drama.
PACERS STAR COULD BE COUNTING THE $62M COST OF ‘STUPID’ RULE
The NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement is having “unintended consequences” already and it has Golden State Warriors big man Draymond Green claiming “bulls***”.
In case you missed it, when the NBA and player’s union agreed to the new agreement in April last year it also included a player participation policy which had a direct impact on eligibility for some of the league’s major end-of-year awards.
Most notably, it set a 65-game threshold for players to be eligible for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA honours. Players also needed to be on the court for a minimum of 20 minutes in all of those 65 games to be eligible.
The change was part of the league’s move to address concerns over load management, with NBA commissioner Adam Silver saying in June 2022 that the league wanted a “system where our best players are incentivised to be on the floor”.
In the case of reigning MVP and Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid, however, there is a debate as to whether the new system is incentivising players to be on the floor to their detriment.
‘Stupid’ rule could cost Tyrese Haliburton money and Joel Embiid MVP; LeBron’s ‘ominous’ Lakers warning
Embiid, having already been dealing with a lingering injury heading into Wednesday’s game against Golden State, went down in the final minutes of the game as Jonathan Kuminga fell directly onto his compromised knee.
Sixers writer Kyle Neubeck described it as “absolute stupidity all around”.
“You can’t say the Sixers could have predicted that specifically, but when a gigantic man is favouring one leg as a result of a knee injury, you are playing with fire,” he wrote.
“Hard to believe the guy who looked like a giraffe on ice skates ended up in a dangerous situation.”
Embiid is now undergoing an MRI and has already been ruled out of Philadelphia’s game against the Jazz on Friday, meaning he can only miss five more games before being made ineligible for postseason awards — including MVP.
That is despite Embiid having what former teammate JJ Redick described as “arguably the best season of his career” on his podcast in December last year.
The fact that Embiid played through his knee complaint on Wednesday says more about Philadelphia’s situation than his MVP case given the team was already without guard Tyrse Maxey and needed the superstar big man to be a chance against a desperate Golden State.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said as much on ‘NBA Today’ but added that the 65-game MVP threshold had to also be a factor for Embiid, who now looks little chance of being eligible for the award.
“He’s not playing because of the 65 games but it’s always front and centre in that discussion. You can’t separate it,” Shelburne said.
“He’s playing because the Sixers need him. They need him out there to win… but 65 games is in your head because this is a guy who didn’t get Rookie of the Year when he certainly was the best rookie that year but he didn’t play enough games.
“He’s already lost one MVP where he probably didn’t play enough games and I think that affected his votes.”
Golden State’s Green was far more direct in his opinion on the matter, believing the NBA’s rule change was in a lot of ways forcing players to push through injuries.
“Joel playing tonight felt very much so because of the 65-game limit,” Green said on his podcast.
“What I think is actually quite bulls***, guys have faced those rules before but those same All-NBA teams, those same MVP awards, lists, Defensive Player of the Year, those lists are the same. I once lost a Defensive Player of the Year Award to Kawhi Leonard and I think he played 51 games.
“In turn, you get Joel who comes out there tonight and he forces it. The freak play with him and JK diving for the ball, but maybe it’s not as bad if the knee isn’t already banged up. I don’t really bang with it. Now we got one of our premier faces in this league, the MVP of our league, possibly hurt for an extended period of time because he’s forcing it.”
It is not just Embiid though. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is enjoying a breakout season that saw him named a All-Star starter, described the rule as “stupid” earlier in the week.
In the case of Haliburton, he suffered a hamstring strain and now can only miss five more games before he too becomes ineligible for post-season awards — including All-NBA honours.
That would end up costing Haliburton $41 million ($A62m). How does that work?
Well, the Indiana guard signed a five-year max contract extension with the Pacers this past offseason which starts at 25 per cent of the 2024-25 salary cap if he doesn’t make an All-NBA team.
If he does, that figure rises to 30 per cent, which is equivalent to a $USD41 million difference.
“I think it’s a stupid rule, like plenty of the guys in the league,” Haliburton said to James Boyd of The Athletic.
Taking last year as a case study, five different players including Giannis Antetokounmpo would not have been eligible for All-NBA had these rules been in place.
ESPN personality Michael Wilbon said the league is facing a “real tough balancing act” given the move was meant to appeal to fans and sponsors growing frustrated with star players sitting out games.
Front officer insider Bobby Marks suggested having a tiered approach, although NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars indicated the league won’t be making any changes for next season.
“Any time you put something in there are going to be some unintended consequences,” he told Malika Andrews of ESPN.
“We knew that going in. We put the threshold in that you can miss up to 20 per cent of the season and still be eligible. But we always knew that there could be a situation where one of the players went past 20 per cent of the season who is having a good year. But you can’t not put that rule in because of the one or two guys that it may effect.
“There have been no discussions about that [a change].”
THE DIFFERENT SIDES OF NBA’S SCORING DEBATE
Earlier in the week it was Joel Embiid dropping 70 points and Karl-Anthony Towns scoring 62. Then it was 73 from Luka Doncic and 62 from Devin Booker.
Four historic individual performances that shone a spotlight on some of the most talented players in the NBA right now — and, potentially, one of the biggest issues in the league too?
READ: Shaq O’Neal has come again as he raises question whether Stephen Curry should be in…
That is what some of the leading voices in the NBA are trying to work out right now.
Are the kind of 50 and 60-point explosions that used to be crowning moments in steps towards superstardom now the new normal?
“I think there are absolute changes (to be made),” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said before the Warriors’ game against the Lakers, according to The Mercury News.
“You’re not going to make changes to the scheme. Where you’re going to make changes is with the defensive positioning rules that are in place.
“I wish I could tell you the number of times a player wildly drove into us, ran into us, and I went to the ref and the ref used the expression, ‘illegal guarding position.’
“The way we’re interpreting the rules is favouring the offence. Just as we did 20 years ago as a league, when we wanted to open up the game, we changed the interpretation. So we could easily go back and give leeway to the defence.”
It is not the first time Kerr has called out the state of NBA officiating, having previously described the league as a “parade to the free-throw line” after a loss to the Nuggets.
Crucially, Kerr wasn’t so much criticising the referees themselves as he was the rules themselves and how they influence the way officials interpret the game.
As John Hollinger pointed out in a comprehensive column for The Athletic, this is a multi-faceted issue that isn’t necessarily going to be solved by making just one change.
Funnily enough, there was a similar conversation happening in NBA circles around this time last year, when the average NBA team was scoring at a rate of nearly 114 points per 100 possessions — ranking the highest such mark in league history.
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The power struggle over Christian Horner has claimed its first victim: Red Bull Key Player Leave to Make Dream team with Hamilton at Ferrari
The power struggle over Christian Horner has claimed its first victim: Red Bull Key Player Leave to Make Dream team with Hamilton at Ferrari
According to information from Motorsport-Total.com , the Brit has already submitted his resignation to the current world champion team! Auto Motor und Sport first reported on Newey’s impending departure.
The reason for Newey’s throwing down is the power struggle at Red Bull that has been raging for weeks in the wake of the affair surrounding team boss Christian Horner.
Although the 65-year-old only signed a new contract last year, the team boss’s recent behavior is said to have finally caused the design guru to say goodbye – also to himself, as Newey apparently increasingly misses the appreciation for his work and the climate between the two Brits have cooled down significantly.
There has been speculation in the Formula 1 paddock for a long time about Newey’s move to Ferrari, where the Briton could form the new dream team for Maranello together with compatriot Lewis Hamilton in the future – and should help the Scuderia to new glory with the rule changes for 2026.
But Aston Martin also believes that with owner Lawrence Stroll’s thick checkbook there is a chance of signing Newey, especially since the designer could then remain resident in Great Britain with his family. Rumor has it that Canadian billionaire Newey is offering $100 million over four years for his services at the new Aston Martin factory.
The Brit’s current Red Bull salary is estimated at around ten million per year. How quickly Newey can actually get out of his Red Bull contract and how long he will then be banned from working for the competition is currently still the subject of negotiations surrounding the termination of the sought-after design guru, who now has to decide: Big dollars in Silverstone or dolce vita in Italy?
Domino effect: beginning of the end for Red Bull?
But one thing is certain: after almost two decades, seven driver’s and six constructor’s titles, Newey’s stint in Milton Keynes is coming to an end, with the once again dominant RB20 likely to add two more World Cup trophies to his illustrious collection of titles by the end of the season: the Brit had previously also built world champion cars for Williams and McLaren.
However, Newey never made a secret of his admiration for Lewis Hamilton and the attraction of one day working with the record world champion. At Ferrari this dream could now come true.
Spicy: Not only did Newey’s wife Amanda recently like a post on Maranello is located.
Meanwhile, with the departure of the star designer, there are increasing question marks behind the future of world champion Max Verstappen: The Dutchman is increasingly being linked with a move to Mercedes , and his stay at Red Bull is said to be based primarily on the personal details of motorsport consultant Helmut Marko and mastermind Newey.
The Brit’s decision could therefore trigger a domino effect – in the worst case, the current successful team could even face disintegration due to the departure of its most important employees.
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“That’s wrong for you to ask me that.” Denny Hamlin Shocked Kevin Harvick On His Request Over Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“That’s wrong for you to ask me that.” Denny Hamlin Shocked Kevin Harvick On His Request Over Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was left in a dilemma after Kevin Harvick asked him to select his preferred driver from Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr. when he sat down during the Harvick Happy Hour podcast.
The eleventh Cup Series race on the calendar is due to flag off tomorrow, at 2.00 PM ET, and will be held by the Dover Motor Speedway. The Würth 400 will mark the 106th dash hosted by the 1.03-mile track
and spells of mayhem at the Monster Mile will be witnessed. Ahead of the 400-lap dash, all JGR drivers sat down with retired NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick and opined on their favorite pick.
Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Martin Truex Jr., and Christopher Bell were asked to select between the 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott and the two-time Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Hearing Harvick’s “hardest question” and the hilarious expressions he threw, Hamlin was sent into a dilemma and replied (via HarvickHappyHour on X):
“That’s wrong for you to ask me that.”
He then opted for the HMS driver and the team followed in the same footsteps, taking Elliott’s name, courtesy of his 2020 Cup Series championship. However, Hamlin gave a hysterical reason behind opting for the Georgia native, adding:
“We have to answer Chase on the racetrack, we don’t have to answer Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the track.”
Denny Hamlin takes a bold stance with “we’re going to win Dover” claim He then opted for the HMS driver and the team followed in the same footsteps, taking Elliott’s name, courtesy of his 2020 Cup Series championship. However, Hamlin gave a hysterical reason behind opting for the Georgia native, adding:
The current season has witnessed Hamlin rake in two wins, two top-5s, and three top-10s, placing him sixth in the rankings. His last win came at the Richmond Raceway after a controversial overtime move initiated by his #11 Toyota Camry dethroned his teammate Martin Truex Jr. from his potential maiden win this season.
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“You’re Pissing Me Off” – Dale Earnhardt Jr Instantly Shuts Down Denny Hamlin Over What He Said
“You’re Pissing Me Off” – Dale Earnhardt Jr Instantly Shuts Down Denny Hamlin Over What He Said
Saving fuel on superspeedways and the lack of enough horsepower on short tracks have turned into big headaches for NASCAR lately. On one side while Goodyear is busy experimenting with different tire types to improve short-track racing, on the other, many NASCAR insiders, including the DBC crew, reckon that’s just the way superspeedway racing is going to roll for now, at least until some big changes kick in. However, Denny Hamlin recently floated the idea of shorter races on drafting tracks during his podcast, a suggestion that didn’t exactly thrill Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr was none too pleased when the topic of shortening races popped up on his podcast
On a recent episode, Dale Jr’s co-hosts brought up how to spice up superspeedway races, mentioning Denny Hamlin’s idea of trimming the races to 400 miles to better align the stages with fuel runs. Basically, Hamlin had argued, “What NASCAR could do is just take this take the superspeedway races down to 400 miles, and then the stages would probably line up quite a bit better. If a stage was a fuel run, we would never save because we’re always going to fight for stage points.“ But Dale Jr wasn’t buying it. He compared the idea to getting less of what you love, saying, “That’s like giving me less candy bar. That’s like giving me less Tater chips in the bag. You’re pissing me off. Stop it! You know what I’m saying? […] Don’t give me less race. ‘Oh! We don’t like our race, so let’s just do less of it’.”
Dale Jr firmly rejected the suggestion to cut down race length, proposing a different fix instead: “That’s a way to get that but I don’t think I want to have a shorten the race? Why don’t you just put enough stages in there to get that solution that you want to. […] so just add another stage don’t take away racing don’t take don’t you just said you don’t want to add another stage well don’t if you’re giving me the choice between taking away candy bar shortening up my candy bar right or taking chips out of the bag versus adding another stage, I’m gonna say just add the f*cking stage man. I don’t want less racing okay I don’t want less racing.”
Stewart-Haas Racing’s crew chief Rodney Childers also echoed similar thoughts on the matter. Childers pointed out, “If the stages were 40 laps instead of 60 laps, there wouldn’t be any fuel saving. So, if you had two 40s and whatever else or however you want to split it up“
Right now, fuel runs at superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega last about 40-45 laps, meaning stages should be around 40 laps or shorter to allow drivers to complete them on a single tank. However, things seem to be taking a turn (in Denny Hamlin’s favor) as the Coke Zero 400 will see a 35-lap first stage and a 60-lap second stage, followed by a final 65-lap dash. The first stage is under the fuel run limit, so there’s no need to save fuel early on, but the next two stages will need at least one pit stop.
However, shortening races, as Hamlin suggested, doesn’t quite solve the issue, as it’s tricky to divide a race into three parts where each is short enough to avoid refueling. As long as there’s a pit stop before a stage ends or the race concludes, drivers will have a reason to save fuel. Even eliminating stage breaks wouldn’t stop this—drivers would just aim to minimize their final stop or try to finish w,ith fewer pit stops overall.
So, what other strategies could be employed to jazz up the superspeedway races?
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The power struggle over Christian Horner has claimed its first victim: Red Bull Key Player Leave to Make Dream team with Hamilton at Ferrari
“That’s wrong for you to ask me that.” Denny Hamlin Shocked Kevin Harvick On His Request Over Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
